State Budget
Tax Hikes Coming Soon?
The latest budget rumors indicate legislative leadership and Gov. Wolf are negotiating a budget that would spend at least $31.5 billion and upwards of $32 billion. To put these spending…
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Don’t Balance the Budget on the Backs of Working People
With little time left until the new fiscal year and fewer than two weeks to avoid another budget impasse, informal budget proposals are floating throughout the state Capitol. One proposal…
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Read More: Don’t Balance the Budget on the Backs of Working PeopleTaxes & Economy
Energy Mandates a Double Whammy
Alternative energy mandates raise the cost of living and make it harder for people to find work. These are the findings of a new paper on the government's futile efforts…
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PA’s Long Tradition of Faux Pension Reform
Pennsylvania's pension problem is nothing new. Over the years, lawmakers have tried to salvage the fundamentally broken system instead of creating a system that works. The latest attempt, SB…
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School Districts Amass Record Reserve Funds
Is your local school board planning to raise property taxes despite holding millions in reserve funds? For many Pennsylvania school districts, the answer may be “yes.” Check out…
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Read More: School Districts Amass Record Reserve FundsGovernment Accountability
Local School District Leads the Way on Transparency
The Quakertown Community School Board (QCSB) is scrapping a conventional collective bargaining practice. Normally, unions and public employers don’t reveal the details of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until after…
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What PA’s New Fair Funding Formula Means for Education
The recently completed 2015-16 state budget includes a fair funding formula which disburses new state education dollars to each school district based on enrollment numbers, the number of students from low-income…
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Read More: What PA’s New Fair Funding Formula Means for EducationRegulation
Corporate Welfare: The New Budget Hostage
Gov. Wolf is withholding approval of corporate welfare projects until lawmakers agree to advance his legislative agenda. According to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story, administration aides told Senate Republicans no…
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Read More: Corporate Welfare: The New Budget HostageRegulation
Latest Plan Could Grow the Pension Iceberg
On the heels of bipartisan wine reform, the PA House is reportedly considering a pension reform plan that could actually increase pension costs. Known as a stacked-hybrid plan, the current bill…
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