Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shaprio took to the stage Tuesday afternoon to deliver the 2024-25 Budget Address for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

During the address, Shapiro discussed the importance of bipartisanship and how it's helped make progress in the commonwealth over the past year.

"Because we worked together, our children are learning on full bellies, we have more cops on the beat and we have trained an additional 6,000 apprentices last year. Because we worked together, poultry farmers were able to get back up on their feet and businesses are now looking at Pennsylvania as a place of great opportunity," Shapiro said.

"Because we worked together, we cut costs for seniors and working families. We put more money back in their pockets in a time when they're worried about high prices. Here in Pennsylvania, we get stuff done together," Shapiro continued.

As for the budget itself, Shapiro proposed $1.1 billion in new funding for schools - what his administration calls the largest in the commonwealth's history.

Nearly $900 million of that money would be sent to support school children under a new adequacy formula to make sure each school has the resources they need. 

The remaining $200 million would be distributed based on the Basic Education Funding Formula.

Additionally, Shapiro proposed a $50 million increase to special education funding in schools, another $30 million in pre-k programs and another $1.5 billion to make schools healthy and safe, including $300 million for 2024 alone.

Combating misinformation, particularly among the commonwealth's youth, is another priority the governor discussed. Shapiro says he has directed the Department of Education to develop a tool kit for teachers and parents on digital literacy and critical thinking.

"I don't care whether our kids take a left position or a right position on an issue, but I do care that they are able to discern fact from fiction," Shapiro said.

Shapiro proposed amendments to the way cyber charter schools are funded in response to the increase in students enrolling in them. 

"Cyber charters get the same amount per student as brick and mortar schools do and it varies district by district. In practice, that means one district might pay $7,000 to a cyber charter, while another has to pay $10,000 to the exact same school," Shapiro said.

Shapiro went on to discuss his "blueprint" for higher education in the commonwealth, which consists of a three-part plan which starts with building a new system for higher education that unites the commonwealth's PASSHE schools and 15 community colleges.

Shapiro proposed $975 million to support this new system schools – a 15% increase from $850 million last year in state investment in state-owned universities, community colleges, and the students they serve.

The second part of the plan consists of fixing the way state-related universities like Penn State, the University of Pitt and Temple are funded. Shapiro proposed these universities be funded through the Department of Education with a simple majority vote rather than the commonwealth writing a blank check.

"Working together with members of the General Assembly and higher education leaders, we’ll create a predictable, transparent, outcomes-based funding system that will apply to schools in the new system and our state-relateds. And that funding system will incentivize outcomes that benefit all Pennsylvanians," Shapiro said.

The final part of the plan consists of making college more affordable for students.

For example, his plan recommends an increase in financial aid for students who attend the schools under the new governance system, so that Pennsylvanians making up to the median income will pay no more than $1,000 in tuition and fees per semester beginning in FY2025-26.

It also invests $279 million annually starting in FY2025-26 so Pennsylvania students can attend college in-state with a limited debt load after they graduate and can enter the workforce ready to start their careers and build a future in the commonwealth.

Also of note, Shapiro proposed an economic development strategy that would call for $600 million in investments meant to better serve the local business community.

This includes $500 million to bring more commercial and industrial sites online and ensure companies have more options for attractive business environments.

Additionally, $25 million would go toward the Main Street Matters Program to support local businesses and commercial corridors. This would build and modernize the commonwealth's Keystone Communities Program.

He also proposed the use of legal adult cannabis, effective July 1 sales within Pennsylvania beginning January 1, 2025, and invests $5 million in restorative justice initiatives from adult use cannabis proceeds, in addition to the immediate expungement of the records of those incarcerated for only a possession related offense attributed to cannabis.

Once up and running, this industry will yield $250 million in additional revenue for the commonwealth, according to Shapiro's office.

You can read the full proposed budget here.