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Posted on 11/04/2026 1:46:28 PM PST by lightman
For four years, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and state House Democrats blamed Republican leadership in the state Senate for blocking bills and delaying what they see as progress.
But that obstacle will soon be gone. Pennsylvania Democrats won the state Senate majority by two seats, expanded their majority in the state House and reelected Shapiro.
So now that the Democrats control all three bodies, what are their top priorities and how soon can they deliver on them?
Democratic leaders in both the Senate and House said their first priority is raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“If you are working and making the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, we’re going to, as the first order of business, double that sucker,” Sen. Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia, said at a Wednesday rally on the Capitol steps.
Other priorities mentioned at the rally included funding mass transit and taking steps to codify abortion.
Shapiro agreed with those priorities, and said he also plans to build more housing and allow survivors of abuse the ability to take their abusers in court. Shapiro has long called for lawmakers to open a temporary window so victims can sue their abusers in cases where the statute of limitations has passed.
House Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia and Delaware County, said House bills get “stuck in a shredder over there in the Senate Republican majority caucus room.”
The party that controls each chamber controls the calendar. This means the leadership can decide to bring bills up for a vote or let them stall.
Major bills that stalled in the Republican-majority Senate but were passed by the Democrat-majority House include proposals to legalize marijuana, a bill to expand anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and a bill to regulate data centers.
Hughes declined to comment on any specific legislation, aside from minimum wage, that state Senate Democrats will plan to act on immediately.
“I think the thing that has the greatest sense of unity, and maybe have the greatest immediate impact, is doubling the minimum wage right now to at least $15 an hour,” he told PennLive.
McClinton said raising minimum wage was a “significant priority.” She didn’t provide a specific list of top bills the House plans to send to the Senate, but said priorities include creating new jobs and relieving the tax burden on Pennsylvanians.
Shapiro said leaders will soon announce their agenda for the first hundred days of the trifecta.
It will be a “collective agenda, one that we will be unified in, one that we will execute on, and one that these guys will get to my desk quickly for signature,” he said.
New House and Senate members will be sworn in on Jan. 5, 2027. The date marks the official start of the next two-year session in the Capitol. There are only two days left in the current session.
McClinton is likely to remain speaker in the House. Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, the minority leader, will likely be the president pro tempore, Democrats said.
Hughes, the minority chair of Senate appropriations, could either become the majority chair in that committee or become next majority leader in the Senate. Senate Democrats haven’t unveiled their leadership plan yet.
With one party controlling the two chambers and the governor’s office, Hughes said disagreements are inevitable, and nothing will be perfect, but “the spirit of cooperation is significant.”
McClinton said she and Costa have always worked well together. Before she was elected as a representative, McClinton was the chief counsel to then-Sen. Anthony Williams. In that role, she was on the floor with Costa every day.
In addition, McClinton and Costa were minority leaders under Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. Even when Democrats took a House majority, McClinton told PennLive in a brief interview she worked closely with Costa to get budgets across the governor’s desk.
“We have been working together for the people across four different budget cycles,” McClinton said. “What’s much different now is that he controls the [Senate] calendar.”
Both now have the ability to bring bills up in their respective chambers.
It can take weeks or months to get a bill to the governor’s desks. Legislation must be drafted, introduced and then referred to a committee. After that, it must be considered and read on three separate legislative days.
It must pass through both the House and the Senate for concurrence, then it lands on Shapiro’s desk.
Once Shapiro has the bill, he has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto the bill. He can also not take action which means the bill becomes law without Shapiro’s mark of approval.
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What’s next?
Gun control
Taxing Military retirement pay
Raising the tax rate
And most of all, changing the voting laws to ensure permanent majority status.
So much for PA being a Purple state. Stacey Garrity was a terrible candidate from day one.
The line up is perfect. The next big market crash will be blamed on all these Dems. It will be 30 years before they ever get a chance at being the majority again.
I predict the DSA squad will pull Democrats to the left.
Democrat voters get it, they vote for the letter, not the candidate.
U meen like the Jooz?
And they will self-destruct!
Unfortunately Dims thrive on market crashes. They tell their cult followers that it's the fault of Big Business and that only Big Government can save them.
Also, they will build the various rules, laws and counting-apparatus that manipulates future elections, so it can remain a completely one-party state.
Ya think?
It’s PA..part of the whole North East liberal shxthole. I’ve got friends there totally disgusted with just about everything.
Fetterman turned out to be the best you got in PA. We can hope all Democrats have massive strokes.
15 min wage is a job killer in rural PA.
Might be fine in toney suburbs but small town diners in the sticks will have to raise prices sharply………and the retirees eating breakfast will get priced out.
Even the state of Florida has a $15 minimum. It certainly doesn’t seem to be hurting that state. I’m glad to call it home. Not a single thing has changed since the $15 is implemented. I think Pennsylvania needs to get smart. Florida is booming politically and economically.
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