HARRISBURG (TNS) — A new political dynamic appeared possible in the Capitol a few months ago.
Better communication and renewed cooperation were being touted as the best paths forward for a Legislature split between Democrats and Republicans and a new governor elected with cross-party appeal.
Now, with the end of the fiscal year one week away and no state budget agreement in place, the old partisan battles seem as if they never left.
On Friday, specific disagreements over education policy and a broader conflict about overall spending appeared to be sore spots as budget negotiations headed into the final weekend before the soft deadline of June 30.
The talks are largely happening in secret. But statements and actions Thursday and Friday by top lawmakers from some key factions — including Democrats who have a one-seat majority in the House and Republicans who have more comfortable control of the Senate — highlighted friction points.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, unveiled his proposed $44.4 billion spending plan in March, and the biggest point of conflict between the parties since then may be the overall price tag. House Democrats, who have their first majority in 12 years, on June 5 passed their own budget bill that went more than $1 billion beyond Mr. Shapiro’s plan. It was a party-line, 102-101 vote.
Kate Flessner, a spokesperson for Senate Republican majority leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said Friday that the “massive” gap between the two Democratic spending plans “has complicated our ability to understand the shared priorities of the House Democrats and governor.”
The House, meanwhile, put its members on notice that they should be prepared to return to session with six hours’ notice — indicating leadership wants to be ready to move bills quickly in the event of a breakthrough in negotiations.
A spokesperson for Mr. Shapiro, who has repeatedly stressed the need for political cooperation, did not provide a response to a request for comment.
In a social media post Thursday, Mr. Shapiro said that Pennsylvania “is the only state in the country with a full-time divided Legislature,” meaning both parties must work together. The same post also noted he signed two bills into law this week. The governor’s spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, did not provide comment following repeated inquiries on whether Mr. Shapiro would sign another freshly passed bill that would give Pittsburgh and other Allegheny County municipalities an improved process for fighting neighborhood blight.
All of it came as Mr. Shapiro appeared in Philadelphia for the reopening of a collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia — a development that happened ahead of a schedule set by Mr. Shapiro and added to his growing national profile. Some have mentioned him as a potential future presidential candidate.
On Thursday, Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia and the House Appropriations Committee chairman, told reporters it was time for the Republican-controlled Senate to respond.
”We are waiting for the Senate to send something back to us,” Mr. Harris said.
Mr. Pittman called the House Democrats’ spending number “impossible” and “a massive departure from their own governor’s proposed budget.” And on Thursday, the Republican-controlled Senate Appropriations Committee amended the spending bill it received from the House, replacing all proposed spending increases for 2023-24 with figures that would keep spending flat instead.
On Friday, in response to questions from the Post-Gazette, committee chairman Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, described the action as a procedural move. It was, he said, “to better position us to advance the state budget once a final agreement is reached.” He added that he looked forward “to continuing to negotiate in good faith.”
A spokesperson for Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, on Friday morning indicated he was not immediately available for comment.
On Thursday, the House Republican minority leader Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, reiterated to reporters accusations made on the House floor that Democrats have declined to meet with Republicans. Referring to June 30 — the last day of the fiscal year and a soft deadline for budget passage — Mr. Cutler said, “These games that they continue to play put that timeline in serious jeopardy.”
Mr. Harris, in separate remarks to reporters, indicated that negotiations of some form are taking place. “There are a lot of folks in both parties that are having conversations,” Mr. Harris said.
Both lawmakers described education as a key sticking point.
Mr. Harris cited a court ruling earlier this year that found Pennsylvania’s public education funding system is unconstitutional. “We have to start talks about the quality of education,” Mr. Harris said. Without a “robust” discussion of that sort, he said, the parties are “throwing bills back and forth” and “literally just spinning our wheels.”
Mr. Cutler said House Republicans “are very focused on retooling the education system.” He accused Democrats of lacking new ideas for education and only seeking to “throw more money at the issue without any real changes.”
Their statements appeared to allude to a concept that has become front-and-center in the education debate: giving scholarships to students in the worst-performing public schools to let them attend nonpublic schools of their choice. Mr. Shapiro has indicated general support for the concept, which some describe as a voucher system. Many Democratic lawmakers are adamantly opposed to the idea.
Republicans in the House and Senate have “Lifeline Scholarship” bills to carry out such a plan. One, sponsored by Sen Judy Ward, R-Blair, would make children who live within the attendance area of a school with poor state test scores eligible for scholarships. Money would be drawn from a new fund within the state Treasury Department.
Meanwhile, a battle developed in the House Thursday over funding for state-related universities, including the University of Pittsburgh. State funding for those schools must be allocated via special bills that require a two-thirds vote for approval — rather than a simple majority — meaning many Republicans will have to side with Democrats if they are to pass.
In preliminary votes on Thursday, most Republicans voted no and none of the bills received a two-thirds majority. Mr. Cutler later said those votes “are a good indicator that we want to be heard, that we want to be involved in the process.”
Late Friday, Rep. Seth Grove, R-York and the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said he saw “signs of moderation” in House Democratic positions, including an agreement to limit new state-related university spending to “costs directly related to the provision of instruction.”
Barring any short-notice sessions, the House and Senate were scheduled to return to action on Monday.
