News & Brews August 28, 2025
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Shapiro’s new budget is still bad
Spotlight PA reports that last week, Gov. Shapiro quietly “pitched a $49.9 billion budget to top Pennsylvania lawmakers in an attempt to end the state’s two-month impasse.” The new proposal represents about a 5% increase in state spending, vs. the 8% that Shapiro initially proposed. House Democrats support the plan. “Republicans who control the state Senate have repeatedly said they will not sign off on a budget that doesn’t address spending and preserve the state’s cash reserves.” The Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield summed the scenario up well: “These are the tricks the gov plays: Propose an absurd budget that spends $7 billion more than revenue; then offer a plan that is $5.2 billion more than revenues that would still drain reserves and require tax hikes and pretend that is ‘compromise.’”
Pa. Dems react to GOP voter registration growth
As the gap between registered Republicans and registered Democrats in Pennsylvania has dramatically shrunk in recent years, Democrats are admitting they’ve got to do more if they want to change the trend. “Five years ago, Democrats in the state held an edge of more than 800,000 voters over Republicans,” WESA reports “As of this month, that margin had shrunk to slightly more than 175,000, with Democrats holding 3.8 million voters to the GOP’s 3.6 million. And that number includes ‘inactive’ voters who haven’t voted in the past two federal election cycles: Among active voters, the gap is just 53,000 people.”
Scranton mayor eyeing congressional bid
The Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader reports that Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is considering running for the Democrat nomination to challenge freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan. “Cognetti said she would make a decision within the next few weeks as she campaigns to keep her job as Scranton’s Mayor.” Bresnahan flipped this congressional seat red last year by defeating incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright. The seat is among Democrats’ targets for 2026.
Philly teachers’ union set to vote on contract
The Inquirer reports that Philadelphia Federation of Teachers members are slated to vote tonight on a new contract that includes “3% salary bumps on Monday, and a $1,400 bonus on Oct. 1, as well as 3% raises in 2026 and 2027.” The contract also includes paid parental leave and higher bonuses for “teachers who agree to work in certain hard-to-staff schools.”
More Pa. cities mulling home rule charters
City & State PA reports that many cities across Pennsylvania are “grappling with increasing costs and fixed expenses like debt service payments, pension obligations and employee benefits – while also trying to find ways to fill the post-pandemic holes in their budgets.” This is leading some local governments to consider adopting home rule charters. “Lynne Shedlock, the director of operations for the Pennsylvania Economy League, told City & State that home rule charters allow municipalities to craft their government in a way that better meets the needs of their constituents, particularly when it comes to how they’re structured.”