Budget
Education
Report: PA school districts facing budget, mental health and special education challenges
Fiscal pressures, rising needs around student mental health and special education, are the key takeaways in the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s 2026 State of Education report.
Budget
9 things to know about Josh Shapiro’s $53.3B budget proposal
Shapiro revisited past priorities and eyed new goals in an hour-long budget address.
Capitol Beat
A Q&A with Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa
The Democratic leader in the Senate discusses lessons learned from last year and 2026 priorities
General Assembly
A Q&A with PA House Republican Leader Jesse Topper
Topper talks state budget victories, navigating a divided General Assembly, and his top goals for 2026.
Interviews & Profiles
A Q&A with PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton
McClinton discusses the 2025-26 state budget, the CROWN Act and the need to address transit funding.
Transportation
SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: Part II
Philadelphia’s public transit system had its share of twists and turns this calendar year.
Transportation
SEPTA’s tumultuous 2025: Part I
Philadelphia’s public transit system had its share of twists and turns this calendar year
Philadelphia
Philly City Council ends the year pushing back against Mayor Parker
Council moved forward with new bond language for Parker’s ambitious housing plan
Opinion
Opinion: New clarity on energy policy will supercharge Pennsylvania’s economy
Ending Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative sends a clear signal that the commonwealth is done with uncertainty and ready for prosperity.
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
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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
