Nov. 12, 2025
HARRISBURG – The 2025-26 state budget passed today by the Pennsylvania General Assembly makes key investments in important programs and better equips energy producers to meet the technology sector’s growing electricity needs, according to Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin).
Mehaffie expressed frustration that the budget – which he views as a comprehensive, well-negotiated spending plan – was not finalized before the fiscal year that started July 1. He feels the budget impasse should have never extended into November, gravely harming social services, school districts and early childhood learning programs in the process.
“The $50.1 billion budget approved today in a flurry of votes differs little from proposals on the table over the summer,” Mehaffie said. “I received criticism in Harrisburg for voting ‘yes’ on other bills, but my intent was always to move the process forward and ease the pain being felt by programs that rely on state funding. The finalized budget so closely mirroring other proposals tells me the process dragged on too long and helps me feel vindicated in my position.”
The budget awaiting Gov. Josh Shapiro’s signature to become law includes a provision that the governor will no longer push for the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Mehaffie hopes ending RGGI participation and adopting regulatory reform will help energy producers feel emboldened to generate more electricity to meet skyrocketing demand across the 13-state grid. He believes overall electricity costs and consumers’ bills will be lowered as a result of these changes to energy policy.
“Overall, the budget has initiatives that I support and ones that I don’t. It is truly a compromise between the House, Senate and both political parties, as it should be,” Mehaffie said.
The budget’s enactment will start to get payments flowing to school districts and human services providers. It provides $21 million to support home care workers, $15.3 million to the thoroughbred and standardbred racing industries, an additional $7.5 million for students pursuing post-secondary education for in-demand jobs, a state tax credit for working Pennsylvanians who qualify for the federal earned income tax credit, $5.3 million for animal diagnostics related to avian flu and other outbreaks, and an extra $10 million for Area Agencies on Aging.
Representative Thomas L. Mehaffie III
106th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Fitch
717-260-6563
jfitch@pahousegop.com
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