Shapiro urges bipartisan action in budget address, emphasizes education, housing, workforce and new revenue from skill games and cannabis

Harrisburg — Governor Josh Shapiro urged the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Tuesday to build on recent bipartisan gains and approve a budget that expands education funding, supports workforce development and housing, and raises new revenue by regulating skill games and legalizing adult-use cannabis.

"Pennsylvania is on the rise," Governor Josh Shapiro said in his address to a joint session of the General Assembly. He outlined priorities that include an additional $526 million for the new school adequacy formula, $30 million targeted to life sciences commercialization, $55 million in recruitment and retention bonuses for childcare workers, and regulatory changes to treat unregulated "skill games" like other video gaming terminals so the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board can collect revenue now going to neighboring states.

Shapiro framed the pitch as continuation of work completed during his first two years in office: expanded public school funding, reduced permitting backlogs and investments that the administration says have attracted private-sector investment. He repeatedly called for bipartisan cooperation and for lawmakers to send him bills to legalize adult-use cannabis with expungement for certain low-level convictions, saying the state faces lost retail revenue across borders and could yield roughly $1.3 billion in revenue over the first five years if legalized.

The address listed specific proposals and program increases rather than a single line-item spending total presented by the governor. Republican appropriations…