The Pennsylvania state budget is now 13 weeks—a quarter of the year—late.

The late budget is hurting schools, social services agencies, and county governments that have been waiting for state payments. This has left schools, rape crisis centers, public transit, and many more services without the funding they need to operate.

Some have been forced to take out loans that will add to greater state spending to reimburse them for interest payments.

The short story of the budget delay is this: The state budget is being held hostage by Senate Republican leaders who are, in turn, being held hostage by partisanship and their most extreme members. Democrats and Republicans are close to an agreement because Governor Shapiro and the Democratic-led House have repeatedly compromised.

So, it is time for the Republican-led Senate to say “yes.”

Use this tool to contact your state senator. If they are a Republican, you can customize the letter to tell them to say “yes” to the budget deal. If they’re a Democrat, thank them for fighting for our kids, our families, and our communities!