Government Accountability

Restoring State Budget Transparency

  • Jessica Barnett
  • January 24, 2018

A House appropriations subcommittee hosted a hearing last week on Pennsylvania’s tax structure and fiscal policy. One of the issues highlighted – Pennsylvania’s lack of state budget transparency. Robert P.

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Criminal Justice Reform

Criminal Justice Reforms Continue to Benefit Pennsylvanians

  • January 23, 2018

Pennsylvania’s bipartisan criminal justice efforts are continuing to pay dividends. According to statistics released by the Department of Corrections (DOC), the state’s prison population fell by 863 inmates—the…

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Taxes & Economy

Residents Still Moving out of PA, So Will Congressional Districts

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 23, 2018

Overlooked in yesterday’s news about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordering a new Congressional district map was the fact that—regardless of the outcome of that case—Pennsylvania will likely lose a congressional…

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Education

ESAs Empower Parents, Protect Public Schools

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 22, 2018

It's National School Choice Week and this year Pennsylvania lawmakers have an incredible opportunity to help students trapped in failing schools. SB 2 holds the lowest performing schools…

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Education

New Board, New Opportunities in Philadelphia School District

  • Colleen Hroncich
  • January 19, 2018

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney recently appointed a 13-member nominating panel that will shape the district’s new school board. High on the panel’s list of requirements should be instilling a…

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Regulation

Lifting PA’s Heavy Regulatory Burdens

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 17, 2018

Tackling one regulation at a time, House lawmakers released a regulatory overreach report aimed at responsibly lightening the commonwealth's heavy regulatory burden. It takes 18 weeks to read the Pennsylvania…

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Health Care

States Get Green Light to Propose Medicaid Work Requirements

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 11, 2018

It's official: The Trump administration has formally endorsed the policy of work requirements for healthy Medicaid recipients. For years states have sought this flexibility to help beneficiaries of Medicaid—government-run health insurance…

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Taxes & Economy

Coal and Nuclear Subsidies Rejected, Time to End All Energy Subsidies

  • Gordon Tomb
  • January 10, 2018

Government subsidies for so-called green energy are contributing to the closings of coal and nuclear plants that keep Pennsylvania’s electricity system reliable. In response, the U.S. Department of Energy…

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Public Union Democracy

Unions Send $1B of Members’ Dues to Liberal Groups

  • January 9, 2018

No one should be forced to fund values they disagree with—yet that’s exactly what’s happening to union members. Dues collected from workers’ paychecks, often at taxpayer expense, are used for…

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