HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania lawmakers closed out the year by ending a five-and-a-half-month-long impasse over budgetary issues. In a whirlwind of late-night votes, the divided legislature sent a spate of bills to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk, who commented on the importance of compromise as he signed the mix of Democratic and Republican priorities into law.

“We are the only state in the nation with a divided legislature: one chamber led by Democrats, one chamber led by Republicans, and that presents challenges. It also requires us to compromise,” the governor said during a December 13 press conference. “And when we do accomplish things like we did as a result of these lawmakers’ hard work over the last several days, when we move the ball down the field, it’s important that we celebrate that, and that we focus on the progress we’re making.”

Here are some of the highlights from the deluge of bills that Shapiro recently signed into law:

Rural counties get a boost

For the first time in seven years, Harrisburg approved a rate increase that will send hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funding to rural communities. There is more than three million acres of state-owned park, forest and game lands throughout the commonwealth. Since these areas are tax-exempt, the state government sends money to local governments and school districts within these state-owned boundaries. Officials say this increase should help keep rural districts and municipalities from needing to levy higher property taxes.

Public libraries and community colleges receive funding

Community colleges and libraries had both been anxiously awaiting the end of the budget impasse so that the funding they need to stay afloat could be distributed.

With the governor’s signature on a school code bill, public libraries will receive $70.47 million in subsidies. Community colleges will receive $261.6 million from the state’s general fund.

Programs lost in the shuffle

Not every program survived the series of compromises that went into passing a 2024 budget. Notably, the Whole-Home Repairs Program—a grant program for property owners facing costly maintenance projects like fixing leaky roofs—did not receive the $50 million it was originally slated to receive. Funding for Whole-Home Repairs will lapse until PA lawmakers come back to session in 2024.

PA’s Level Up program—which would have provided $100 million in funding to the commonwealth’s most poverty-stricken school districts—did not survive either. Instead, that money went to a state board to fund school construction projects. Another $75 million was allocated to remove toxins like lead and asbestos from schools.

Educational tax credits gets $150M boost

“Two of the state’s most successful programs to boost educational choice and opportunity for students will see a combined funding increase of $150 million under legislation approved by the House and signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro,” Rep. Joe Adams of Wayne/Pike counties announced over the weekend.

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs allow private businesses to receive tax credits equalling 75 percent of what they contribute to scholarship organizations—up to $750,000 in credit per taxable year. Each year, these programs contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to scholarship orgs, which in turn award tuition vouchers to families whose children attend private and religious schools. 

Supporters of these two programs are generally Republicans. Education advocates, however, have been more critical, citing research that has found that the programs lack both educational and financial accountability.

State-funded indigent defense

For the first time in PA history, the budget will include $7.5 million in funding for indigent defense, providing criminal defense services to people who can’t afford legal representation themselves. Shapiro proposed $10 million for indigent defense in his original budget proposal earlier this year.

“As a result of this bill, Pennsylvania will no longer be one of only two states in the country that does not allocate state funding for indigent defense,” the governor’s website states.

Student-teacher stipends

The new budget is introducing a new student-teacher grant program. Included in Act 33 of 2023, the Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program will provide $10,000 grants to student-teachers and $15,000 grants to student-teachers who work in schools with high turnover rates. 

This fiscal year’s budget allocates $10 million for the program, which will be administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

Mixed bag of criminal justice bills

A blend of Democrat- and Republican-favored bills relating to the state’s criminal justice system passed recently as well. On the more progressive side, the governor singed into law an expungement program, known as Clean Slate, and broadened civil rights for incarcerated women.

Shapiro signed another measure, however, that requires the PA attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to handle crimes committed on public transit within Philadelphia. Democrats largely voted against this bill. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner held a press conference on December 14 with state Sen. Sharif Street—a Democrat who represents Philly— calling on Shapiro to veto the “unconstitutional” bill.

“It is wrong to take away prosecutorial discretion from the voters of Philadelphia,” Street said. “The citizens of Philadelphia overwhelmingly voted for D.A. Krasner. This bill is unconstitutional.”