Health Care
Four Game Changing Welfare Reforms
The 2017-18 spending plan is now law, but officials still must find a way to pay for it. The latest version of the human services code bill includes a host…
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Overspending, Not Undertaxing, Created PA Budget Deficit
Why does Pennsylvania have a state budget deficit? Simple: Overspending. If the state had grown spending by the rate of inflation and population growth over the last three years, the…
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Read More: Overspending, Not Undertaxing, Created PA Budget DeficitRegulation
The Unrelenting Demand for Tax Increases Illustrates Lessons Unlearned
For Gov. Wolf, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite the harm caused by last year’s tax increases, Gov. Wolf appears to be holding out—yet…
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Read More: The Unrelenting Demand for Tax Increases Illustrates Lessons UnlearnedPublic Union Democracy
Ghost Teachers Exposed by NBC Philadelphia
The ghost teaching phenomenon is continuing to garner major media coverage—this time, a multi-part NBC10 Philadelphia investigation. Investigative reporter Mitch Blacher gets to the bottom of union work on school…
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Read More: Ghost Teachers Exposed by NBC PhiladelphiaRegulation
Liquor Privatization’s Dual Purpose
State lawmakers have yet to agree on a plan to balance last year’s budget (2016-17) or this year’s budget (2017-18), despite authorizing large spending increases both years. In…
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Read More: Liquor Privatization’s Dual PurposeHealth Care
Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State Budget
State lawmakers are scrambling to create a revenue plan that can balance the $32 billion dollar spending plan passed by the legislature last week. While talks of tax hikes, borrowing…
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Read More: Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State BudgetState Budget
Lawmakers’ Choices: Higher Taxes or Real Reform
Half the state budget is done: the spending list. The Pennsylvania House and Senate passed a general appropriations bill on Friday. But the other half—how to pay for it—remains. The…
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Read More: Lawmakers’ Choices: Higher Taxes or Real ReformCriminal Justice Reform
How to Revamp Pa.’s Criminal Justice System
Pennsylvania can reduce its prison population by more than 1,000 people while saving approximately $108 million over five years, according to a Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) Working Group Report.
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Read More: How to Revamp Pa.’s Criminal Justice SystemPublic Union Democracy
Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?
Government unions are rallying in Harrisburg, demanding more money from Pennsylvanians to justify an even larger state budget. It’s worth asking, how did we get here again? And what…
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