Shapiro offers peek at upcoming budget

A day shy of the one-year anniversary since he took office, Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday gave a sneak peek at some of his top priorities for the upcoming budget.

During a call-in appearance on Allentown-based La Mega’s El Relajo de la Manana radio show, Shapiro offered some details, if minimal, of what he would like to accomplish during his second year in office. When Shapiro makes his budget address next month expect to hear him call for:

Continuing the investment in public safety, including more funding for the state police.

A significant increase in funding for public education while making sure money is targeted to historically underfunded school districts. This comes in the wake of a report from the Basic Education Funding Commission approved last week that calls for addressing the more than $5 billion in underfunding of public schools.

Making higher education more accessible to “people who don’t have all kinds of extra money laying around.”

More help for senior citizens beyond the approved expansion of the state’s

Property Tax and Rent Rebate program that, starting in July, will deliver maximum rebates of $1,000 to homeowners and renters age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older and people with disabilities who are at least 18 years old who have incomes of up to $45,000. The income eligibility will increase annually by the rate of inflation.

Renewing his call to raise the state’s $7.25 minimum wage to $15 an hour. All neighboring states have raised their minimum hourly wage above the federal minimum (also $7.25). He said, “It’s long past time to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania.”

Continued investment in vocational-technical education.

Shortly after completing his interview, Shapiro posted on X (formerly Twitter): “It’s been one year since I took office — and we’ve hit the ground running to advance real freedom, create real opportunity, and get stuff done for all Pennsylvanians. In year two, we’re going to keep working for everyone who calls Pennsylvania home.”

Shapiro will deliver his budget address around noon Feb. 6. He is scheduled to deliver it from the Capitol Rotunda, which would be a first for a governor. Typically, it is delivered to a joint gathering of the House and Senate in the House chamber, but it is temporarily closed while ceiling repairs are made from a broken pipe in 2022.