Shapiro talks budget impasse over funding of mass transit

(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro answered questions about funding for mass transit and the future of the long-overdue state budget, issues he says he’s working round the clock with legislators to resolve.

His comments came after delivering a speech on improved permitting processes alongside the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Let me be very, very clear—mass transit here in Southeastern Pennsylvania and in each of our 67 counties is critically important,” said Shapiro. “It's critically important for our school children. It's critically important for our businesses. It is critically important for our economy, and we need to fund mass transit.”

Shapiro recounted his attempt to fund mass transit in last year’s budget proposal, the stopgap measure put in place when no legislative solution materialized, and the 182 days since this year’s budget proposal.

“My administration has provided the House leader and the Senate leader multiple pathways to be able to have ongoing recurring revenue go into mass transit and keep SEPTA and the other mass transit agencies across Pennsylvania healthy,” said Shapiro. “They need to pick one of those options.

Despite the mounting frustration and looming deadline, Shapiro remained confident that leaders across the aisle would come to an agreement on the budget.

“You have to compromise even more when you have a divided legislature, so I'm willing to compromise. I've been around the table. I'm in Harrisburg all the time. I'm visiting, talking with the leaders constantly,” said Shapiro. “I spoke to each of them, communicated with each of them today, and we were on the phone late last night, so we're putting that work in.”

Yet for all of his praise for the leadership’s efforts in coming to the table, he had some criticism for the Republican-controlled Senate, which Democrats have said is “holding hostage” essential funding.

“One of the things that I have seen that is quite different is during those last 182 days since I introduced my budget, the Senate has only been in session 32 days,” said Shapiro.

He said that a takeaway from this process would be each chamber reassessing their schedules. He said that when he was a member of the General Assembly, they met with far more frequency and had more dialogue.

According to the legislature’s website, the House held 51 regular session days before August in 2005, Shapiro’s first year in office as a representative. The Senate held 50. This year, the House has held 52. The Senate has held 32.