Democrats win the state Senate. Here's what Philadelphia's Council is asking of Harrisburg

On Wednesday morning, control of the Pennsylvania Senate was still uncalled. By later Wednesday it was settled: Democrats won a majority, giving the party the governor's office and both chambers of the legislature when the new session opens in January. It's the first time since 1993, the Inquirer reported.

For Philadelphia, that matters because much of what City Hall wants, including SEPTA money, school building repairs and a higher minimum wage, can only come from the state.

How it happened

WHYY reported that Democrats flipped four Senate seats: the 6th in Bucks County, the 16th, the 24th and the 40th. They lost one in the Lancaster County area. The Philadelphia Tribune reported the result as a 26-24 Democratic majority, with the party's state House majority growing from 103 seats to at least 111 (Tribune). Gov. Josh Shapiro, reelected Tuesday, told reporters, "We will fund mass transit" and "We will raise the minimum wage," WHYY reported.

Philadelphians in key seats

• Sen. Vincent Hughes of West Philadelphia is expected to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee, according to both the Inquirer and the Tribune.
• Rep. Jordan Harris will chair House Appropriations, the Tribune reported.
• House Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia promised an on-time budget: "Come see us in June of 2027," WHYY reported.
• Sen. Nikil Saval may chair the Senate Housing Committee, according to WHYY.

What Council members said

The Tribune asked members for their priorities.

• Council President Kenyatta Johnson called it "a historic opportunity starting in January for greater alignment" between the city, Harrisburg and Washington. Separately, he told the Inquirer that on school funding, "If we have a trifecta, we should be doing even more."
• Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson listed education, public transit and maternal health legislation.
• At-large member Isaiah Thomas, who chairs Council's Education Committee, said there's no longer a reason to close 17 schools under the School District's facilities plan.
• Rue Landau named statewide LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections, wages, and school and transit funding.
• Mike Driscoll said he looks forward to working with newly elected officials on issues that matter to residents.

The money problem

New majorities don't create new revenue. The state expects to spend more than it takes in this fiscal year, the Inquirer reported. SEPTA faces a $192 million structural deficit next fiscal year. The Inquirer noted that Shapiro's proposed tax on skill games and the idea of legalizing and taxing recreational cannabis now look more feasible. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said a higher minimum wage, now $7.25 an hour, would put residents on "a path to self-sufficiency," according to the Inquirer.

What our records add

Several items on Council's own agenda depend on, or sit next to, state action:

• Paid family leave. Resolution 260941, from at-large member Nicolas O'Rourke, calls on the General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 906, the "Family Care Act." It was introduced Oct. 29 and is still awaiting a Council vote. Our story.
• Transit. O'Rourke's Bill 260892, a city Transit Access Fund for Zero Fare and city workers' SEPTA passes, gets a committee hearing Nov. 17 (meeting). It would pay for city programs, not SEPTA's operating budget. Our story.
• School money. Council's main lever is the property tax split. Bill 240180 passed 17-0 in 2024 and Bill 250201 passed 15-1 in 2025. Each shifted part of the real estate tax from the city to the School District.
• Skill games. Council voted 17-0 in 2024 to ban the machines from most stores (Bill 240010-A). Taxing them would take an act of the legislature. Our story.

What's next

The new legislature takes office in January, and the state budget is due by June 30, 2027. Council's next stated meeting is Nov. 12, when Resolution 260941 could come up for a vote.