(WHTM) — June may be the busiest month at the State Capitol, with the budget deadline approaching and a lot of lobbying going on. Governor Josh Shapiro is also pushing hard for his priorities, along with a spending number that Republicans insist is not possible.
"It is critically important that we invest in mass transit," said Shapiro, touting his spending wish list, all worthy causes.
But June is as much about finding funds as making fixes.
"Great politics is to be all things to all people, and that's what the Governor's budget proposal was," said Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R). "It was all things to all people."
Senate Republicans are skeptical of the Governor's demands and are growing wary of the proposed budget's burden on the Pennsylvania taxpayer.
"At the end of the day, the taxpayer cannot bear the expenses that he has proposed in his budget," said Pittman. "We can't afford it all."
Democrats counter that Pennsylvania can't afford not to.
"We must continue to make those investments that we know pay us dividends, and that's the budget that we're looking forward to getting to the Governor's desk on June 30," said Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris (D).
Will they make it? Shapiro is generally optimistic.
"We've had some good conversations that have been ongoing," said Shapiro.
Pittman disagrees.
"We have miles to go, I think, in terms of getting a budget in place," said Pittman. "There's a wide gulf, frankly, in our revenues and our expenditures."
Shapiro has mastered press conferences. How about budget negotiating?
"I would like to see him a little more engaged," Pittman said.
"My response is that the Governor's Office is on the second floor of this building," said Harris. "I see him all the time."
There's also some concern in the building that Senate Republicans don't want to give Governor Shapiro a win in the budget because he's running for re-election in 2026, and maybe higher office in future years.
