Budget
Capitol Beat
5 things to know about Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 state budget
Big changes are coming for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, public education funding, tax credits and more.
Policy
City & State’s 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget tracker
After a budget impasse that stretched more than 130 days, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a $50B budget into law on Nov. 12, 2025.
News & Politics
The Democratic Women’s Caucus calls for emergency SNAP funding
Houlahan said 2 million Pennsylvanians, most of them women and girls, could become food insecure if funding is allowed to lapse
News & Politics
‘The perfect storm’: Congressman Brendan Boyle warns of looming impacts of federal shutdown
SNAP payments for nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians could be at risk next month if the shutdown continues.
U.S. Congress
What they’re saying: PA congressional delegation reacts to federal government shutdown
Republicans and Democrats are trading blame over who caused the closure.
Education
Commonwealth school districts are still working on improving buildings and environments
Schools across the state have long dealt with mold, asbestos and other environmental hazards inside their walls.
News & Politics
Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund, explained
State officials have deposited several billion dollars into the commonwealth budgetary reserves in recent years. Is it time to use it?
Transportation
SEPTA’s short-term funding fix: How we got here and what’s next
The Shapiro administration and PennDOT are moving forward with the transit agency’s request to use up to $394 million in capital assistance funds for daily operations
Transportation
Anger at state Senate Republicans dominates a Philadelphia transit town hall
Lawmakers and transit advocates lambasted GOP intransigency, while Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced city funding to restore some routes
News & Politics
For more PA cities, hard fiscal choices are leading to home rule
The need for revenue is driving more Pennsylvania local governments to consider home rule charters.
Philadelphia
Students, commuters, businesses bear brunt of budget-driven SEPTA service cuts
The transit agency, facing a budget shortfall, began implementing service reductions just before the first day of the school year
Education
Study: PA schools plagued by widespread lead, mold, radon and other environmental hazards
A report on the environmental health of commonwealth schools found threats and harmful substances exist across the board
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Transportation
‘It will be a disaster’: Labor leaders, teachers sound the alarm as SEPTA cuts loom
Massive service reductions and fare increases would impact students, workers and residents around the region
Transportation
Transit advocates’ three-word message for state Senate: ‘Do your job’
SEPTA is set to have drastic service cuts and fare increases should the state budget not include transit funding soon
Capitol Beat
Kim Ward suggests ‘six-month budget’ amid ongoing PA budget impasse
The Pennsylvania Senate president said school choice policies and mass transit funding remain sticking points.
Transportation
Not fare: SEPTA Regional Rail riders face hard choices if route reductions implemented
Buses, walks and rideshare services could cost riders more time and money if funding issues cause route reductions.
Josh Shapiro
A recent history of efforts to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage
Lawmakers have attempted to raise the minimum wage in the commonwealth, with little success over the last 20 years.
Economic Development
Breaking Regulations: Changing zoning, codes and bureaucracy could key housing solutions
Pennsylvania politicians at all levels are scrambling to find effective solutions to the state’s affordable housing crisis.
News & Politics
What we now know – and don’t know – about the Pennsylvania budget
Pennsylvania’s fiscal year started on July 1 – and the state still lacks a completed state budget.
U.S. Congress
This is not a test: PA public radio stations in emergency mode after rescission vote
A bill that would rescind more than $9 billion in already-approved federal funds now heads to the president’s desk.
