Gov. Josh Shapiro is a “different Democrat,” or so claim national pundits. The governor has made unorthodox yet inconsequential statements condemning terrorism, rebuking antisemitism on college campuses, discouraging citizens from murdering corporate executives, and defending Punxsutawney Phil against PETA. And with his recent flirtation with national politics, Shapiro seems eager to ride this concocted brand all the way to the White House in 2028.

But, as his state budget address this week demonstrates, Shapiro is far from different. In what might be the first campaign speech of the 2028 presidential campaign, the governor offered the same typical liberal policies and rhetoric we’ve heard before.

Shapiro’s $51.5 billion budget offers an extreme dose of deficit spending, new taxes, and future tax hikes on working Pennsylvanians. He proposed new energy taxes and green subsidies that would drive up electric bills and threaten blackouts. Shapiro campaigned to cut taxes, but his budget calls for more than $1 billion in business tax hikes.

Rather than containing costs, his proposal balloons welfare spending to unsustainable levels. And ignoring his campaign promise, Shapiro eschewed discussing educational choice. Instead, he offered a myriad of handouts and charter cuts demanded by teacher union executives.

Shapiro’s radical spending plan comes when Pennsylvania faces a structural deficit. Shapiro would balloon the deficit to nearly $5 billion, draining the state’s general fund and illegally tapping state emergency reserves, or Rainy Day Fund.

He proposed adding more revenue through legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana and expanding gambling taxes — both revenue streams unlikely to materialize at the levels he projects. Shapiro also expects an increase of more than $1 billion annually from corporate taxes through “combined reporting,” which is more of a progressive talking point than anything. States that adopted similar measures have yet to experience increased revenue or a better business climate.

Shapiro also talked a lot about competing with other states. However, instead of imitating thriving states — such as Florida, Texas, or North Carolina (states where Pennsylvania families continue moving to), he wants to bring the failed policies of California, New York, and New Jersey to the Keystone State.

On energy, the governor didn’t offer anything new. Shapiro continues his lawsuit to keep Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), an energy tax the Commonwealth Court ruled unconstitutional. And, once again, he proposed his version of RGGI: the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER).

Shapiro’s budget lumps these proposals into his so-called “Lightning Plan,” which translates into more mandates for unreliable “green” energy, leading to higher costs and threats of rolling blackouts. In exchange, Shapiro wants a slew of new tax credits and incentives to dole out to politically connected firms. The governor seems to have missed the message from voters in the last election, who called for lower costs and expanded energy.

Pennsylvanians won’t benefit from energy taxes or a Green New Deal. The Keystone State is an energy powerhouse. A recent Independent Fiscal Office report shows Pennsylvania — the number-one exporter of electricity — has not only increased electricity production but also has reduced carbon emissions. All the while, neighboring states have cut production. Shapiro’s Lightning Plan threatens this progress and promises fewer jobs, higher costs, and debilitating blackouts.

On education, the governor doubled down on more of the same. Over the last four years, the commonwealth has increased subsidies to public schools by $4.1 billion — all despite declining enrollment and academic achievement. The recent release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), or Nation’s Report Card, results show an astonishing 69 percent of eighth-grade students can’t read at grade level, and more than two-thirds aren’t proficient in math.

Shapiro ignored these trends and proposed another $800 million increase with no accountability. To appease teacher unions, the governor proposed a draconian cut of nearly 50 percent to cyber charter schools–cuts that will take options away from parents and students.

Notably, Shapiro made no mention of his campaign commitments to help low-income students trapped in failing schools through Lifeline Scholarships. Two years ago, Shapiro vetoed $100 million for these scholarships, which would offer $5,000 to $10,000 educational savings accounts to the neediest K-12 students. He continues to ignore the dire need for educational options.

Thankfully for Pennsylvania families, Shapiro doesn’t have a successful legislative record. With few legislative achievements in his first two years, the governor and his radical agenda are unlikely to pass through the Republican-controlled state Senate or evenly divided state House.

Instead, legislative leaders have pushed back at Shapiro’s rehashed liberal ideas with their own agenda of fiscal responsibility, protecting taxpayers, unleashing energy dominance, and expanding educational opportunities to families. By working with the legislature on such policies, Shapiro can better serve Pennsylvanians — and his own political ambitions.

Only then will Shapiro become a “different Democrat.”

Nathan Benefield is the chief policy officer of the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank.