By Rep. Kinkead | Columnist
After more than four months of delay — caused by inaction from leadership in the Republican-controlled state Senate — Pennsylvania finally has a state budget in place for the 2025–26 fiscal year. While it should never take this long to invest in schools and essential services that millions of people rely on, the final product reflects meaningful bipartisan work and important progress for communities across the Commonwealth. This year’s budget makes significant strides toward fairer education funding, stronger anti-hunger programs and real economic support for working people.
Perhaps the most impactful achievement in this year’s budget is the creation of the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, a new state-level tax credit that nearly 1 million Pennsylvanians will qualify for, including about 75,000 people here in Allegheny County. Anyone who qualifies for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) will now automatically qualify for a state credit equal to 10% of their federal credit, sending hundreds or even thousands of dollars to households feeling the greatest strain amid rising living costs. The federal EITC is considered one of the most effective anti-poverty tools in the United States, and creating a state-level version means we can further help uplift those who need it most.
One of the most transformative aspects of this budget is the long-overdue reform of our cyber charter school funding model. By recognizing that the costs of providing education online are significantly lower than those associated with traditional brick-andmortar schools — and by closing glaring loopholes — schools across the Commonwealth will save $178 million. Those dollars will go directly back into classrooms and student resources. An additional provision in this budget also addresses the teacher shortage by reducing the fees and barriers associated with teacher certification.
Once again this year, we continued our work to reform Pennsylvania’s school funding formula, which was ruled unconstitutional by the Commonwealth Court in 2023. The 2025–26 state budget includes $565 million in adequacy funding for school districts that have been left behind for far too long. Combined with a nearly $150 million increase in basic and special education funding for schools across the state, this budget brings us closer to achieving a Pennsylvania where a child’s educational opportunities are not determined by their ZIP code. This goal has guided much of our work since the 2023 school funding lawsuit ruling, and it’s one we remain committed to pursuing.
Beyond education, we made historic investments to combat food insecurity, with more than $40 million dedicated to state-level anti-hunger programs. These funds will bolster food banks, strengthen the State Food Purchase Program, expand existing resources like farmers market coupons to help maximize the impact of SNAP dollars, and ensure that no one in Pennsylvania goes hungry. At a time when uncertainty at the federal level is threatening critical programs like SNAP, our Commonwealth is stepping up to support more Pennsylvanians in need.
The months-long delay — driven by Senate Republican leaders stepping away from the negotiating table — and compounded by the longest federal shutdown in history, created uncertainty, stress and anxiety that will have lasting effects on schools, nonprofits and local governments. And while we still have significant work to do to properly fund public transit, responsibly address climate change and ensure that development and economic growth in Pennsylvania are enjoyed by every resident — not just a wealthy few — I am incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish in this budget.
Despite the delay and work left to do, I wanted to highlight the ways this budget will help people here in Allegheny County and across the state. Know that I am committed to continuing to fight for better budgets so that every Pennsylvanian can thrive. If you want to learn more about the state budget, legislation I’m working on in Harrisburg or how my team and I can help you, please reach out to my office by email at [email protected] or call (412) 3215523.
