Pennsylvania Perspective for Monday, June 29, 2026

Cozen Corner

City & State PA Names Joe Hill, Brianna Westbrooks to Philadelphia Power Brokers List

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ Managing Director Joe Hill and Principal Brianna Westbrooks were recognized among City & State Pennsylvania’s 2026 Philadelphia Power Brokers list for their strategic insight, deep connections, and influence in Philadelphia’s political and legislative landscape.

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Pennsylvania

State Budget Negotiations as the June 30 Deadline Approaches

With Pennsylvania’s fiscal year concluding on June 30, legislative negotiations between Governor Josh Shapiro and a divided General Assembly continue, with an anticipated final agreement expected in early July. Negotiations center around Governor Shapiro’s proposed $53.3 billion budget, which mandates $565 million in public school adequacy assistance, $300 million for public transportation, and $100 million in social safety-net buffers against federal cutbacks. While House Democrats stand behind the package, Senate Republicans remain opposed to Shapiro’s proposal to close a projected $3.4 billion revenue deficit by withdrawing $4.6 billion from the state’s rainy day fund. House Appropriations Chair Jordan Harris (D-186) discussed in an interview that House Democrats and Senate Republicans are engaging in ongoing negotiations on the state budget. Representative Harris also mentioned that education funding and rising costs are a priority for House Democrats and highlights the legislative push to regulate and tax skill games.

Campaign Fundraising Disparity in Gubernatorial Race

The latest campaign finance reports submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of State highlight a fundraising gap between the leading candidates in this year’s gubernatorial election. Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s campaign raised $4.285 million between May 8 and June 6, boosting his overall cash on hand to $38.3 million with zero reportable debt. Governor Shapiro’s recent haul was driven by $2.82 million in individual donations and nearly $1 million from political action committees. Republican challenger and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity raised $685,000 during the same 30-day reporting window, bringing her total cash reserves to $1.1 million. Treasurer Garrity’s report also listed $193,336 in outstanding campaign debt.

PA Democrats Signal Openness to School-Choice Reforms, Federal Voucher

Pennsylvania House Democrats are shifting their approach to school choice as a legislative overhaul of the state’s $680 million educational tax credit system moves forward. House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D-70) expressed intrigue regarding a federal tax credit scholarship program enacted under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signaling a public softening from party leadership as Governor Josh Shapiro faces a year-end deadline to officially opt Pennsylvania into the federal initiative. While House Democrats successfully advanced a 105–97 vote to enforce stricter transparency, income caps, and auditing metrics on private institutions receiving these tax-deductible donations, Senate Republicans countered by pushing a $25 million expansion to the existing state scholarship pool. This puts into question whether school choice may be a factor in the state budget negotiations this year as Governor Shapiro vetoed a school voucher program in 2023.

Federal

Senators Fetterman and McCormick Organize National Fair Booth After Governor Shapiro Plans to Skip

U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) formed a bipartisan private coalition to secure Pennsylvania’s representation at the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall, reversing a decision by Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration to skip the event. Organized by the Trump administration’s “Freedom 250” committee to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday, the fair faces broader participation hurdles, with multiple Democratic-led states opting out due to financial and partisan concerns. Governor Shapiro previously attributed Pennsylvania’s absence to high taxpayer costs and a lack of willing corporate sponsors, alleging that the event had been overly politicized. However, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry clarified that a restrictive two-week outreach window, rather than a lack of market interest, hindered initial corporate commitments. Operating without taxpayer dollars, the senatorial partnership will coordinate directly with the state chamber and agricultural networks to fund and manage the commonwealth’s pavilion. 

Judge Dismisses Justice Department Lawsuit Seeking Private Voter Data

A federal district judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania dismissed a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice that sought to compel the state to hand over an unredacted copy of its voter rolls containing nonpublic personal identification, including driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers. District Judge Cathy Bissoon ruled against the federal agency’s records demand, writing that public official statements exposed an intent to compile an unauthorized nationwide voter database for immigration enforcement and future political weaponization under the guise of investigating unsubstantiated noncitizen voting claims.  

Representative Perry Joins Legislative Push to Repeal the 17th Amendment

Pennsylvania U.S. Representative Scott Perry (R-PA-10) has joined a group of conservative lawmakers as a co-sponsor of a joint resolution aiming to repeal the 17th Amendment, which would remove the direct popular election of U.S. Senators and return that authority to state legislatures. Introduced by Congressman Keith Self (R-TX-3), the legislative measure seeks to restore the original constitutional framework designed by the Founding Fathers.

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