Criminal Justice Reform

2012 Corrections Reform Still Paying Off

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 20, 2016

Yesterday, Gov. Wolf and Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel announced that Pennsylvania’s prison population declined last year by the largest amount since 1971. The number of imates declined by…

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Public Union Democracy

Voting for Your Union

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 19, 2016

Imagine if a political party could stay in power for four decades without facing reelection. Thankfully, we have regular elections in this country. But for Pennsylvania teachers, this is reality.

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Education

Wolf’s $3 Billion Education Cut

  • James Paul
  • January 18, 2016

Upon finally approving the majority of a state budget, Gov. Tom Wolf admonished the General Assembly for “cutting $95 million from public schools.” Yet it is the governor himself who…

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Education

Do Record-High Graduation Rates Matter?

  • James Paul
  • January 18, 2016

In America’s high schools, test scores are stagnant while graduation rates are soaring. How can both be true? A December press release from the Department of Education…

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Government Accountability

Fiscal Code Packed with Earmarks

  • James Paul
  • January 12, 2016

Pennsylvania's fiscal code is intended to provide lawmakers with instructions for spending funds appropriated in the state budget. But it is also ground-zero for a host of earmarks that funnel limited…

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State Budget

Fiscal Code Protects Kids and Jobs

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • January 12, 2016

Today, the Pennsylvania House passed a revised fiscal code, HB 1327, to implement parts of the state budget. The fiscal code explains how revenues will be distributed, including transfers…

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Public Union Democracy

Pay Up or Get Fired

  • Gina Diorio
  • January 12, 2016

Imagine being told you have a choice: Write a check for $450 to an organization you don’t support, or lose your job. For tens of thousands of teachers across Pennsylvania…

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State Budget

Charting Pennsylvania’s Budget Future

  • January 11, 2016

Believe it or not, the state is approaching the unofficial start of a new budget cycle. Gov. Wolf plans to roll out his proposal for the 2016-17 budget on February…

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