On Wednesday, November 12, PA lawmakers passed a $50.1 billion budget after a four-month impasse. The final budget includes increased spending on education, hunger programs, and an earned income tax credit, along with funding for crucial social service programs that have suffered under the combined harm of the budget stalemate and federal shutdown. The deal was reached when lawmakers agreed to officially leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), despite Pennsylvania’s participation in the program being litigated in the PA Supreme Court.  

Fixing PA’s inequitable education system has been a key issue since the 2023 PA Supreme Court decision that required lawmakers to “devise a plan to address the constitutional deficiencies identified by the Court.” These deficiencies included glaring gaps in funding for early education, lack of sufficient, qualified public school staff, and a need for new investments in safe and adequate facilities. This new system must provide all students with a “meaningful opportunity to succeed academically, socially, and civically which requires that all students have access to a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system of public education.” The 2024 budget began funding this work, and the $565 million in additional adequacy funding will ensure essential resources go to districts and students that need them most.  

Lutherans have been keenly aware of the necessity of increased need in our food system, resulting from inflation and federal cuts to SNAP benefits and other safety net programs. The budget includes $30.688 million for the state’s major anti-hunger programs — $3 million for the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and $1 million for the PA Agricultural Surplus Program (PASS). Both of these programs help provide food to food banks while also supporting PA farmers and food producers. The spending plan also includes $9.57 million ($7 million or a 271% increase) for Farmers Market Coupons. 

“This is welcome news for those who are served by our hunger ministries, which were seeing a surge in need over the previous year, even before the federal cuts took effect,” said LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale.  “The church will continue to strive to meet the needs of our neighbors, but until we address underlying factors such inflation in health care, food and housing plus cuts in federal employment and safety net programs, state funding cannot fill the gap.” 

Other pieces of the budget and fiscal code that support our neighbors who are hungry include: 

• A code directing how the $7M increase to food coupons should be used 

• $5M should be used “to reduce food waste and strengthen food access programs” 

• $2M should be used for a SNAP benefit incentive program (Food Bucks) 

• Requiring DHS to complete a report on the transition to chip-enabled EBT cards 

• Requiring DHS to complete an annual report on SNAP benefits that includes: 

• General data about participation levels, amount of benefits distributed 

• Total number of recipients with account balances above $2,000 for six months or longer 

• An overview of the SNAP distribution schedule and recommendations for changes 

• SNAP payment error rate and recommendations for reducing below 6% 

• Programmatic and financial impacts to the Commonwealth from federal changes 

Although LAMPa applauds the increases in programs to fight hunger and the ability of government and agencies to move forward with the passage of a budget, we lament the decision to abandon participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).  

As the budget was passed DePasquale was participating in the UN’s annual climate talks, COP30, in Belem, Brazil.  

“I spent Wednesday evening in devotions at the Lutheran Church in Belem with a delegation of young adults participating in the COP through the Lutheran World Federation,” DePasquale said. “Some of these young people have already experienced such tragedy as a result of climate change. Yet, they are hopeful that the Holy Spirit might bring us together to end the suffering and heal our common home – that THIS might be the year when we act. At a time when the focus here is on the leadership of subnational governments in combatting climate change, I am incredibly disheartened to face them and confess that Pennsylvania is not doing its part. The church, however, will not abandon them.  Our call continues, and we must renew our determination to make this  Commonwealth a leader in the work of creating a livable future for all of our children.” 

 Some important clean energy funding was included in the budget, including: 

• It continues to invest in the Solar for Schools program that lowers schools’ energy bills and pollution 

• The budget unlocks federal funding under the Solar for All program, which will make low-cost solar available to low-income families. 

These are bright spots, advocated by Lutherans across the Commonwealth, but they do not come close to the kind of clean energy investments that RGGI would have meant for Pennsylvania.

LAMPa will continue to connect Lutherans to their lawmakers to advocate for policies and future budget appropriations that continue to care for our neighbors near and far.  

 

Join our networks on Hunger, Housing, Creation Care, and Human Rights here.  

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