As Pennsylvanians Reach for Leftovers, Shapiro Serves Up Pork 

While Pennsylvanians dig into their leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, the state finally delivered a feast of its own, passing a budget after a 135-day impasse. The deal, totaling $50.09 billion, served up more pork than typically seen during November festivities.  

The long-awaited budget comes with a hefty price tag: about $9,568 per household in Pennsylvania, more than the $7,200 (or $600 per month) the average household spends on groceries. 

As noted by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) in September, when they named Gov. Josh Shapiro “Porker of the Month,” the governor worsened the four-month-long impasse by putting forth a costly, overinflated budget that focuses more on progressive “pork” than public benefit.  

While the budget does not include all of the governor’s asks from his $51.5 billion proposal, Shapiro’s reckless overspending is a common thread throughout the final deal. 

Two state departments, Human Services and Education, accounted for 78 percent of the final deal. Human Services takes up about $20.2 billion, and is one of the fastest-growing portions of the budget. The department’s budget spiked again this year, with Medicaid spending expanding far quicker than Pennsylvanians’ ability to pay for it.  

Education takes the next-largest portion, costing about $19 billion. Despite declining enrollment and test scores still below pre-pandemic levels, school systems keep asking for more. 

This year’s budget included a $2.4 billion increase from last year. Over the past decade, under both Govs. Tom Wolf and Josh Shapiro, state spending has ballooned by 64 percent.  

Without meaningful structural reform, the state’s deficit will continue to worsen, and the state’s fiscal security will hang in the balance. Thanks to Shapiro’s overspending, it will be the households already stretching every dollar who will foot the bill.  

Pennsylvanians should be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving leftovers without worrying about the state helping itself to more of their paycheck. But unless Gov. Shapiro curbs his appetite for oversized spending, families will be the ones paying the check.