HARRISBURG, Pa. — Talks finalizing a state budget were ongoing Monday hours after the deadline passed.
Still, Shapiro remained cheerful. It won't be long until there's something to announce, "Everybody has been working around the clock. We are deep in the Red Zone, and I expect that we will get this done very soon," he said.
Shapiro proposed a $48.3 billion budget back in February that included 1.1 billion dollars in new funding for schools.
Republicans at the time protested it would draw down the state's reserves.
Republicans control the state Senate, and Democrats control the House.
With the deadline passed, the impact would fall on discretionary spending, which generally isn't felt for a few weeks.
Officials are hopeful a finished budget will pass before then.
Spokeswoman for the Senate Republican Caucus Kate Flessner tells Newswatch 16, "Positive movement with the 2024-2025 state budget continues to progress. While details are still being negotiated, the Senate has added additional session days this week."
Shapiro wouldn't go into the particulars of the negotiations during a news conference on the expansion of the commonwealth's property tax and rent rebate program at the Robert Dougherty Highrise in Dunmore.
However, Gov. Shapiro stressed the final budget will include compromises, "I've been saying for months everyone was going to have to compromise in this divided government, but when you compromise, you make progress."
The budget does have an impact on finances, but some core spending is unaffected.
Budget or no budget, the state government still has to make debt payments, cover Medicaid costs, issue unemployment payments, and pay state law enforcement.