HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to seek more money for public schools and public transit when he delivers his third budget proposal to lawmakers Tuesday.
You can watch a livestream here of Shapiro's address, scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. to a joint session of the General Assembly.
The Democrat is also expected to reprise his support for legalizing marijuana and introducing taxes on skill games viewed as competitors to casinos and lottery contests.
Shapiro's budget proposal could approach $50 billion for the 2025-26 fiscal year beginning July 1.
Passage will require approval from Pennsylvania’s Democratic-controlled House and its Republican-controlled Senate.
Shapiro is under pressure from education allies and Democratic lawmakers to marshal billions more for schools in response to a court decision that found Pennsylvania’s system of public school funding violates the constitutional rights of students in the poorest districts.
Shapiro's budget delivered a substantial increase for schools this year, while lawyers for the schools that sued the state are asking for a $1.3 billion increase for the next fiscal cycle, or almost 13% more.
Shapiro also has said he'll seek tax breaks to subsidize the cost of building new power plants and more money for rural health care services. He also is expected to make another pitch to legalize marijuana to skeptical Republican lawmakers.