One day after the Pennsylvania House and Senate passed a $50 billion budget, Gov. Josh Shapiro echoed what many lawmakers said in Harrisburg: that this was a big compromise. 

According to Gov. Shapiro, money is already flowing to schools and communities that have been waiting more than four months for funding.

“The dollars are being given out even today,” Shapiro told KDKA.

Most lawmakers in Harrisburg agreed that there was a give-and-take with the budget, but it was still 135 days late. The governor is already working with leadership to speed up the process for next year.

“It’s all about us meeting earlier,” Shapiro said. “The leaders meeting earlier and lawmakers staying in Harrisburg until the job is done.”

One of the compromises for the governor was not getting more funding for mass transit. Pittsburgh Regional Transit said in a statement that this leaves a major gap. Using capital funding avoids cuts and fare increases for now, but not for the long term., PRT said.

Governor Shapiro said mass transit impacts more than just the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas.

“It’s all 67 counties that rely on some form of mass transit, even if it’s ride shares for seniors in some of our most rural counties outside of Allegheny,” the governor said.

With Pennsylvania pulling out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Shapiro says it’s time to figure out an energy plan for the state. He’s proposed what he calls a lightning plan to create jobs, lower rates and generate more power.

“RGGI’s gone now,” Shapiro said. “They have no excuse. It’s time to come to the table and work on a comprehensive energy policy that reduces costs, creates jobs and generates more power for Pennsylvanians.”

The governor also praised continued efforts to speed up the permitting process. He feels it allows for more business and construction and less red tape.

This budget had to pull from some surplus to cover the expenses. To get more revenue pouring into the state, the governor had proposed legalizing marijuana and taxing skill games. That was not included in this budget, but he believes it could pass in the future.

“I do think there is an appetite to take those issues up again, and we are going to continue to work on it,” Governor Shapiro said.