Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is expected to introduce his 2026-27 spending plan today before a joint session of the state house and senate.
The governor is expected to address the rising cost of housing, increased energy demand, and unfinished business from prior years as part of his address to lawmakers. While there is a demand for increased income, there are no plans for any tax increases.
Ahead of that address, State Representative Jim Struzzi wrote an op-ed reminding people that for the last three years, the budget was passed after the June 30th deadline. He said that it was because the starting point from the Governor’s budget was unrealistic, especially in 2025, which lead to a four-month budget impasse. He added that the final budget that passed last year earned strong bipartisan support as it reflected a more reasonable spending level than what Shapiro had proposed, and included important policy changes, including removing Pennsylvania from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
While Struzzi said that Pennsylvania’s fiscal problems cannot be fixed in one budget, “the decisions we make today can create meaningful long- and short-term improvements.”
Struzzi serves as the House Republican Appropriations Committee Chairman.
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