It's official: Pennsylvania will begin the 2024-25 fiscal year without a state budget.

The Pennsylvania State Senate will not reconvene until 3 p.m. Monday, 15 hours after the start of the new fiscal year.

Nevertheless, Republican Majority Leader of the Indiana State Senate Joe Pittman said in a letter to his constituents on Friday: “Negotiations on the state budget are taking place in Harrisburg, and we are encouraged by the dialogue between the Senate, House of Representatives and Governor.”

He said it seems clear there will not be a full budget agreement that can be implemented, as the old fiscal year ended on Sunday. “We hope to reach consensus very soon and avoid negative impacts on the people of Pennsylvania.”

Pittman said the Republican majority in the Senate continues to push for a budget that respects taxpayers, ensures wise use of existing resources and leads to economic and demographic growth in Pennsylvania.

“Since Governor Josh Shapiro introduced a budget plan in February that would increase overall spending by $3.2 billion, we have expressed that the amount he wanted to spend is much higher than what Senate Republicans believe is fiscally sustainable,” Pittman said.

The governor has continued to promote this budget in a variety of ways, either personally or through members of his cabinet. On Friday, Mandy Book, deputy secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development, joined local leaders in visiting small businesses in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, to highlight the governor's planned investments in Pennsylvania's main streets, downtown business districts, small businesses and local communities.

The tour was similar to one that DCED Secretary Rick Siger conducted on June 21 through the streets of downtown Indiana.

Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Struzzi, who took part in Siger's Indiana tour along with other politicians, also expressed hope that a bipartisan agreement on the budget could be reached quickly and “in the best interests of the state.”

Struzzi said negotiating the general government funding bill and working on a variety of bills would be top priorities for House leadership until the budget bills passed both chambers and landed on the governor's desk.