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PA BUDGET UPDATE
On March 7 Governor Shapiro presented his first budget as governor. The presentation was more upbeat than we’ve seen in many years, and it was longer than most since it was a way to kick off his first term and communicate the priorities of the new administration. Governor Shapiro called on the legislature to work together with the administration to accomplish goals, and his polished delivery of the budget address included a reveal of his ambitious and competitive plans.
Ticking in at over $44.4 billion, the Executive Budget is an ambitious plan. Lawmakers reacted accordingly with both praise and criticism. The Executive Budget is only the beginning of the budget process in Pennsylvania; this is not the final budget. Any of the four caucuses could introduce budget bills that differ from the Executive Budget, and those bills and negotiations will be on our watchlist.
How did museums, history and culture fare in the Executive Budget?
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's (PHMC) budget for its own operations and programs increased to maintain its staffing levels and open the new State Archives this year. The appropriation for the Cultural and Historical Support grants is in the budget at $2 million.
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts' (PCA) organizational budget also saw and increase, and there is an additional $1 million for the Grants to the Arts in the budget. The PCA's grant programs support around 20 art museums through operating grants as well as some funding to museums for arts programming.
The Department of Community and Economic Development's (DCED) budget includes a line item, Marketing for Accredited Zoos, with $1 million in the spending plan. That is what was in the final budget last year. This number has gone up and down between Executive Budgets and Enacted Budgets between $500,000 and $1 million in previous budget seasons.
The DCED's COVID-19 ARPA PA Arts and Culture Recovery Program made an appearance in the budget because that $15 million in federal funding has not been spent yet. The application period for this program ended on February 28, and the Commonwealth Financing Authority is still expected to approve those grants at its July 18 board meeting according to staff at the DCED.
America250PA, the organization planning activities for the U.S.A.’s birthday in 2026 has a line item in the DCED's budget for the first time with an investment of $250,000.
All told, the Executive Budget's funding for Arts and Culture is not robust and fails to include the sector in the administration's ambitions. The Office of the Budget published budget documents with long term numbers, and on page 440 of this document reveals no plans to increase the PHMC Cultural and Historical Support grants line item through the end of the Governor's first term. Lawmakers in the PA House and Senate remain crucial to our efforts to see any increased funding.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has established its schedule of budget hearings. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is not scheduled for a hearing. That is not out of the ordinary since most agencies are invited to a hearing every other year. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is scheduled for a hearing on April 11 at 9:30 a.m. The Office of the Budget has a helpful document outlining the budget process that you can see here.
During budget week there was also an announcement of committee assignments for Democrats serving in the PA House.
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