Why Harrisburg budget season matters to your family and what you should be doing about it

Sharon Sedlar | June 12, 2025

I remember back when I thought my voice didn’t matter, or I was too busy to pay attention, or that I wasn’t “important enough” to “bother” legislators.  But then I saw, up close and personal, the effect my inaction had on my family, and realized that I needed to make time – and to make “them” listen. 

First of all, our legislators want to hear from us.  They are elected into office by us to do a job they campaigned for.  They made promises that we need to ensure they keep (or educate them on why they shouldn’t).

Secondly, this is OUR commonwealth.  The one that we raise our families in.  The one that can help keep our kids close as they start their adult lives, or force them into another state with better opportunities.

Third, Harrisburg affects our family finances.  Whether grocery store costs, utility bills, taxes, or a myriad of other money related issues, what they do can help or hurt our household bottom line.

And no where near last, but one of the most important, especially to us here at PaFEC, they decide what’s important on the K-12 front and child welfare front.  This year, girls’ sports, cyber charter funding, basic education funding, and literacy are at the top of the education list.

Do you know what the House Education Committee is up to?  You should!  In the last month alone, they voted on measures affecting cyber charter, attendance, teacher certification updates, and held three hearings across the Commonwealth on cyber charter education.

The Senate Education Committee has been a little quiet lately with the most recent action being taken in early May, but they are gearing up for action this very week, to be sure.  In early May, committee votes were taken on the PA Award for Student Success, nursing aides, Holocaust instruction, and school board duties and powers.

Discussions are happening right now behind closed doors between our branches of government and respective committees.  Even if a bill didn’t get passed, it still may in the final version of the budget and resulting school code. 

You see – at the end of the legislative session when all is agreed to, the legislators re-visit bills, revise them, take them back to their respective floors, and vote them in so that they can be included in the final budget.  They’re choosing and modifying the “ingredients” for the final product; taking different items off the shelf, reading the ingredients, and putting them back pending the final line-up.  Once all of the components of the “cake” are chosen, all they have to do it put it in the bowl, mix it up per the recipe, and bake it.  Right now, we’re at the choose and modify stage.  If you don’t want a certain item in the budget or school code “cake,” now is the time to let both the House AND Senate know.

If you’ve confused, not sure who your legislator is, don’t know where to turn – contact us!  We will help you in whatever way we can so that your voice is heard. 

Use your voice!  It has real power!