Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania has proposed significant increases to education and economic development in his second budget. He has also proposed the regulation of adult use marijuana. Governor Shapiro presented his budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, which is set to begin on July 1st, in front of a joint session of the House and Senate. The Governor called his inaugural spending plan a “down payment” on his vision for Pennsylvania, urging lawmakers to pass his projected $48.3 billion budget to provide more funding to underfunded public schools and attract major industrial and high-tech projects to invigorate the state’s slow-growing economy. The Capitol Rotunda was heavily guarded during the presentation.