Nearly two weeks after the June 30 constitutional deadline, an agreement was reached by Gov. Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly on a budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Gov. Shapiro signed the $47.6 billion spending plan into law on July 11.
The General Assembly has recessed until the fall with the Senate scheduled to return to voting session on September 16 and the House on September 23. Membership in the House continues to remain in flux – a common theme this session – with the recent resignations of two Democratic members. Reps. Donna Bullock and Stephen Kinsey, both from Philadelphia, submitted their resignations following the adoption of the budget. This brings the political makeup of the House to 100 Democrats and 101 Republicans. However, Democrats will remain in control of the chamber. As noted in this PennLive, new operating rules for the House adopted in 2023 provide the party that won the most seats in the General Election will maintain control until Special Elections are held. The Special Elections for the Bullock and Kinsey seats are scheduled for September 17.