In just a few days, a massive change could take place in Pennsylvania.
As we look back at the 2025-26 legislative session so far and toward the November election, one thing is clear: the balance of power in our state government matters. After all, elections have consequences, and your future is being shaped every day by elected officials in Harrisburg.
Since 2022, Democrats have held a narrow majority in the Pennsylvania House, while Republicans have maintained control in the Senate. That divided legislature has had major consequences. The House has advanced radical, dangerous proposals to expand abortion, legalize recreational marijuana, and erode religious liberty. Meanwhile, the Senate has served as a critical safeguard against these measures becoming law, playing defense against Governor Shapiro’s and House Democrats’ harmful agenda.
But that balance could change on November 3rd.
Democrat leaders want unified control of the governor’s office, House, and Senate. This political trifecta would open the floodgates to their agenda. Radical policies that have stalled will gain momentum. Our fight to protect life, religious liberty, and families could face obstacles we’ve never encountered before.
That is why your engagement matters. Throughout this legislative session, Pennsylvania Family Council has worked to stop harmful legislation and advance policies that strengthen families.
Three Harmful Bills We Helped Stop
In December, the Pennsylvania House passed HB 1957 by a single vote, 102–101, advancing a proposed constitutional amendment establishing a right to “personal reproductive liberty,” otherwise known as abortion. The amendment would threaten existing protections for unborn children, allow unrestricted abortion access through up to nine months of pregnancy, and open the door for even more dangerous abortion policy changes.
With your help, Pennsylvania Family Council opposed this measure and worked to protect the sanctity of human life. Thankfully, the bill died in a Senate committee.
This was a reminder of what’s at stake. Just one vote pushed this bill through the House. The Republican-led Senate then played its pivotal role in stopping it.
The House continued pushing proposals to legalize and commercialize recreational marijuana, including HB 1200, which passed the House in May by just one vote. Thanks to the Senate firewall, it was defeated in the Law and Justice Committee.
This bill would expand marijuana access, fuel addiction and impaired driving, and harm children through marketing ploys, hurting childhood brain development.
Pennsylvania did not legalize recreational marijuana this session. As the marijuana industry continues pressing for legalization, we will keep working to protect families and communities from its harms.
HB 300 would expand Pennsylvania’s nondiscrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity. We sounded the alarm about this dangerous bill, which has major implications for religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and privacy.
The proposal did not become law during this session. Thanks to your help, it was pulled at the eleventh hour, and House Democrats instead turned it into an amendment for a different bill. While that bill passed the House, the Senate stands again as a firewall.
Three Areas of Progress
The Pennsylvania Senate passed the Save Women’s Sports Act (SB 9), with unanimous Republican support and five Democratic senators voting in favor.
This is a significant step toward protecting fairness and safety in girls’ and women’s athletics. With different House leadership and a different governor, we can get this bill to the finish line.
While public support continues to grow, and the demand for protection for female athletes increases, House Democratic leadership has resorted to the political game of re-referring the bill (and other versions of it) to various committees. This allows their members to delay and avoid taking a vote.
2. Protecting Children Online
Children face unprecedented exposure to online pornography and other harmful content. PA Family Council has helped build bipartisan support for age-verification legislation, HB 1513 and SB 603, that would make it harder for minors to access online pornography.
With similar protections enacted in numerous other states, Pennsylvania lawmakers missed an opportunity to take meaningful action this session, but we have not stopped. We will continue working for passage in the next legislative session of bills that help parents protect their children online.
3. Expanding Educational Opportunity
Parents should have meaningful choices in their children’s education, regardless of their financial circumstances. PA Family Council has long advocated for Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, its expansion, and broader school choice opportunities.
Although school choice scholarship funding has faced opposition in Harrisburg, our work has helped keep educational freedom in the conversation. We will continue supporting policies that empower parents and expand opportunities for students – including calling on Governor Shapiro to opt our state into the new federal Educational Freedom Tax Credit Program.
The State Senate is At Stake
Let this be a testament to what is at stake in Pennsylvania.
The Senate has not only prevented harmful legislation, but has also advanced important protections for life, families, and religious liberty. However, the current balance of power is not guaranteed to continue.
Right now, the Democrats have control of the House and the governor’s office. If they gain a majority in the Senate, they would be able to easily pass the radical, dangerous agenda that the House has pushed in this current session. We would expect proposals involving abortion, marijuana, and the Fairness Act to be a serious threat, creating additional obstacles to pro-family legislation.
This is not a prediction that every proposal would become law. It is a recognition that the party that holds legislative power decides which bills advance, which receive votes, and which ultimately reach the governor’s desk.
That is why Tuesday’s election matters. We encourage you to become an informed voter, examine candidates’ records and positions, and make your voice heard.
Before you vote, visit www.pafamilyvoter.com to learn more about the candidates and share www.pafamilyvoter.com with your church, small group, friends, and family!
Vote on November 3!
This November 3rd, Pennsylvania voters have an important choice to make. The outcome could determine whether our Commonwealth faces a Democrat trifecta or maintains a Republican firewall in the state Senate.
Make a plan to vote on November 3rd. Help us continue the fight by blocking bad bills and advancing laws that protect life, family, and religious liberty.
Thank you for standing with PA Family Council as we work to protect families like yours and advance policies that strengthen our Commonwealth.
Cast your vote this November with wisdom! Visit pafamilyvoter.com to access your free, online, personalized voter guide to see where the candidates stand. It’s available 24/7!
