Pennsylvania lawmakers clash over public transit spending; Budget talks stall

(WHTM)– The Pennsylvania Senate budget standoff is well into its second month.

Senate Democrats held a press conference Wednesday to provide an update on the budget and to address the lack of funding for mass transit. They are calling it a crisis, but they’re not the only ones worried that the checks aren’t in the mail.

There is no end in sight to the budget stalemate, leading many to become nervous. Some school districts, especially those without large reserves, are supposed to get paid in August. Neither they nor non-profits have seen any of the money.

Despite the stalemate, York County Commissioner Julie Wheeler has no doubts the budget will be done on time.

“We take the stance that we’ve got a budget to do,” said Wheeler. “We’ve got to balance it, and it gets done.”

But York, like all counties, needs state money to balance the books, as about $100 of its $700 million budget is Commonwealth cash. Wheeler says York is accustomed to delays and its reserves will cover delayed funding. Others aren’t so lucky.

“You face crippling the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia), the Chair of the Appropriations Committee.

A press conference focused on the crisis of mass transit funding, as SEPTA in Philadelphia is talking about slashing routes and cutting employees. SEPTA says if additional funding isn’t passed by August 14, routes will be slashed, and fares will be hiked.

“There’s a sense of urgency for us,” said State Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny).

The state already gives SEPTA $1 billion per year, but Governor Shapiro and House Democrats want to add $300 million for mass transit and $300 million for roads and bridges. Transit funding could be separately passed or part of the broader budget. Senator Hughes prefers a final stop.

“All of this should have been wrapped up on June 30th,” said Sen. Hughes. “We need to get the whole thing done.”

In a statement, Senate Majority Floor Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) said he’s focused on a “responsible” budget, a word at the heart of the standoff, which Republicans mean not spending too much of the $7 billion rainy day fund. To Democrats, it means not spending too little.

“We’ve got real needs,” said Hughes. “We’ve got surplus. We’ve got a substantial rainy day fund. We’ve got people who need real help and have been looking for real help for a long time.”

“At some point, we will probably be a little more nervous than we are now,” said Wheeler

Lawmakers are confident that funding public transit and the budget can be done quickly, as it has been in the past, but doing so on time could be a big ask.