HARRISBURG – Sen. Pat Stefano (R-32) released the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget address:
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every February feels like Groundhog Day,” Stefano said. “Year after year we receive the same trite speech full of promises and total disregard for reality.
“Words only get us so far. Instead of recycled talking points, we should be focused on the Independent Fiscal Office’s projections and the looming structural deficit that threatens Pennsylvania’s future.
“Pennsylvanians deserve more than empty rhetoric and grandstanding. They deserve a responsible plan that protects taxpayers, strengthens our economy and ensures long-term stability.”
Shapiro’s 2026-27 $53.3 billion budget proposal would increase spending by $2.7 billion, a 5.4% increase over the current year. That rate of spending growth would ultimately take more money out of the pockets of taxpayers at a time when many Pennsylvania families are still dealing with the affordability crisis caused by Biden-era inflation.
The growth in spending is primarily from the Department of Human Services (nearly a $1.4 billion increase) and the Department of Education (more than a $900 million increase). Costs for the Department of Corrections would also increase by $140 million under Shapiro’s budget despite the closure of two state correctional facilities.
The spending plan would take $4.6 billion out of the state’s emergency reserves in the Rainy Day Fund.
Stefano pointed out that Senate Republicans’ work to limit spending increases and enact pro-growth policies over the past three years was the only reason Shapiro’s budget did not include a broad-based tax increase this year.
The budget signed into law in November achieved key Senate Republican priorities, including eliminating the $1.5 billion RGGI electricity tax on consumers, improving Pennsylvania’s broken permitting process and making the state’s business tax structure more competitive.
Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal does not include the new energy taxes originally envisioned in his “Lightning” energy plan. The budget also uses a portion of the multi-billion-dollar balance in the Public Transportation Trust Fund to support the state’s largest transit agencies, which is the fiscally responsible approach identified by Senate Republicans during last year’s budget debate.
CONTACT: Amanda Cuteri