As Butler County school districts consider taking out loans to make it through the rest of 2025 and county commissioners contemplate holding back state fees to keep the county operational, it’s time for our state legislators to take the bull by the horns.

As the folks at the top of the state political pyramid continue to wrangle over dollars and cents, the people they represent are forced to make difficult decisions about everything from layoffs to closing programs temporarily.

While we know logically that state legislators must know what they’re doing right now is negatively impacting everyone who relies on the state budget’s passage to do their work, sometimes it doesn’t feel that way.

Sometimes it feels like their goal is not to pass a budget at all, but instead to be the loudest, toughest and least compromising person on their side of the aisle so they can campaign on those hard-line positions in the future.

The state House of Representatives has passed a $50.25 billion spending plan, sending it to the state Senate for approval. Senate Republicans then adjourned until later this month, saying they need more time to review the House plan.

Here’s the thing — at some point, it would be great to know that Democrats and Republicans are not so worried about “their side” of the argument and remembered they’re supposed to be on “our side.”

Pennsylvania’s budget is 107 days past due. It was required by law to be approved by June 30.

Can you think of any other profession that would permit you to miss a deadline by three and a half months? We’re not talking about missing a deadline by a smidge, this is ignoring it completely.

Butler County has said it won’t need to furlough employees or take drastic measures, but may consider holding back some state fees to keep itself operational during the impasse. Some neighboring counties aren’t as lucky — Westmoreland County laid off 125 employees Tuesday, Oct. 14; Armstrong County has laid off 16 employees and shuttered eight of 10 senior centers; Mercer County has reduced all staffers at the domestic and sexual violence agency, AWARE, Inc., to part-time hours; and all counties are facing reductions in funds to keep various agencies open.

Imagine getting laid off because someone else wasn’t doing their job or being unable to use the senior center you rely on for lunches every weekday because some people you never met can’t agree on anything?

Imagine watching someone you supported in an election grandstand in a televised news conference while you’re waiting to hear if you’re going to be furloughed from your county job.

This is not the appropriate time for the Pennsylvania Senate to be adjourned. Our state Senators should be negotiating at the table around the clock until this work is done.

It’s way past time for our legislators to get to work and do the jobs we elected them to do.

— KL