Democratic Gov. Shapiro backed off his insistence on money for a new private-school funding program, giving the Democratic-controlled House the opening to approve a new spending plan after a days-long stalemate in PA’s politically divided Legislature.
Some Republicans expressed shock at the turn of events. In a statement, Senate Republican leaders said Shapiro had “decided to betray the good faith agreement we reached" and lacked “enough respect and standing within his own party to follow through with his promise.”The spending plan represents a 5% increase from last year’s approved budget, sending most of the new money to education, health care and social services.
Shapiro’s original budget plan — and his deal with Senate Republicans — fell short of what many Democrats had wanted. Still, the spending plan does not include some of Shapiro's priorities and about $600 million in aid for Penn State, Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh remained in limbo, held up by a House Republican bloc.
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