Harrisburg, PA − November 12, 2025 – Now 135 days past the constitutionally-mandated deadline to pass a state budget, Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery/Delaware) voted “YES” on a Pennsylvania state budget today.
The 2025-2026 final budget spend came to $50.09 billion – a 4.75% increase from the previous state budget to meet the rising cost of inflation and $1.3 billion less than Governor Shapiro’s initial $51.47 billion dollar proposal.
Notably, the 2025-2026 state budget does not pull any funds from Pennsylvania’s $7.5 billion Rainy Day Fund, nor does it increase taxes. Instead, this budget provides tax relief for almost one million Pennsylvanians.
“My colleagues and our Democratic leadership have been ready to compromise on a sustainable, responsible budget for 135 days. After months of deliberate inaction from Republican Senate leadership, I’m relieved that, today, I was finally able to cast my affirmative vote for the sustainable, responsible budget we’ve been fighting for,” Senator Cappelletti said. “While this vote was long overdue, I’m pleased to see this budget advance critical dollars toward initiatives that put money back into Pennsylvania families’ pockets and into our communities.”
Senator Cappelletti added: “As Americans navigate the longest federal government shutdown in history, struggle to put food on the table because of an unlivable minimum wage coupled with dramatic inflation, and bear the brunt of Trump’s tariffs, it’s up to our state legislature to provide as much stability and support as we can for families. While the state missed the mark on passing a timely budget which left our communities feeling the pinch, I’m hopeful the compromise we’ve come to provides much-needed relief across the Commonwealth.”
Several aspects of this year’s state budget meet the moment for Pennsylvania families, and Senator Cappelletti is proud to see initiatives pass that advance affordability:
Fighting for Families
“The 2025-2026 state budget puts families first. Whether it be helping Pennsylvanians put food on the table or providing an enhanced infrastructure for childcare, I’m thrilled to see our legislature using this budget to ensure families across the Commonwealth have the resources they need to not only meet their basic needs, but thrive,” Senator Cappelletti said.
Among other investments, the 2025-2026 budget includes:
- A NEW earned income tax credit for families (Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit).
- $11 million increase in funds for the State Food Purchase Program and Farmers’ Market Coupons to support food banks and pantries.
- $25 million for childcare retention and recruitment to address the childcare crisis.
- $21 million increase in funds for direct care workers.
Prioritizing Public Education
“No matter where you live, you deserve to send your kids to a safe school with the adequate funding it needs to best serve students, faculty, and staff. This budget provides several investments in our public education infrastructure, proving this to be a top priority for our legislature,” Senator Cappelletti said.
Among other investments, the 2025-2026 budget includes:
- $526 million in additional funding to equitably fund Pennsylvania public schools in line with the state’s constitutional mandate.
- $40 million increase in funds for special education.
- $100 million for school safety and mental health programs.
- $30 million for student teacher stipends.
Where we Missed the Mark
Senator Cappelletti shared the following statement on missed opportunities and areas for improvement moving forward:
“Aside from the general delay it took for us to get to this point, I’m disappointed to see that our legislature missed a few opportunities to push Pennsylvania forward. This year’s budget invests not a single dollar more for public transit infrastructure. Public transit is a lifeline for millions of Pennsylvanians, tourists, and visitors. When SEPTA cut services earlier this year, we saw just how devastating it is to our communities when public transit is taken away. I’m less than thrilled to see our legislature hasn’t learned its lesson here, but I will not give up this fight as we move forward.
“With this budget compromise also came an end to Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative). Already a long-overdue initiative that positioned Pennsylvania as a driver of climate change solutions, RGGI is a collaborative, commonsense effort to cut carbon emissions. For us to pull out of RGGI is a blow to progress we’ve made in addressing climate change, and I hope to see a unified effort by the General Assembly to tackle this issue for future generations going forward.
“There will always be room for us to grow and continue investing back into our Commonwealth. Today, I’m glad we got the job done, but let’s be honest: there’s more work to do.”
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