Many Pennsylvanians face chronic unemployment, welfare dependency, and the cycle of poverty. This happens because labor incentives have been overridden by bad policies that keep millions out of the workforce and enact excessive red tape. We can reverse this trend by ending the practice of waiving work requirements on able-bodied Pennsylvanians with no dependents, removing barriers to employment for those seeking a fresh start, and creating a healthcare system without burdensome regulations.

Criminal Justice Reform

One act of love can reform a system failing juvenile offenders

  • Jennifer Stefano
  • April 28, 2023

Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer Aqilah David’s journey began with an act of love. Living alone with her 10-year-old brother and 6-year-old sister — partially due to adults…

Media Hit

Read More: One act of love can reform a system failing juvenile offenders

Welfare

Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Enrollment

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 10, 2023

Summary On April 1, Pennsylvania returned to normal Medicaid eligibility rules and began a year-long process of redetermining eligibility for all 3.68 million beneficiaries.Medicaid spending grows faster than our state…

Fact Sheet

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Welfare

Medicaid needs a better ‘normal’ in Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 7, 2023

Originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review This month, Medicaid is finally returning to normal — but “normal” was never that great. Currently, an estimated 600,000 ineligible Pennsylvanians…

Media Hit

Read More: Medicaid needs a better ‘normal’ in Pa.

Education

Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll Findings

  • Jennifer Stefano
  • April 6, 2023

Summary The Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll, conducted March 24-29, is the first in a series of quarterly surveys taking the pulse of voters on the “state of the…

Memo

Read More: Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll Findings

Prosperity

Tearing Down Barriers to Prosperity: How More Economic Freedom Can Reduce Poverty and Boost Prosperity in Pennsylvania

  • Meg Tuszynski
  • February 21, 2023

Key Findings Economic freedom, specifically lower government spending, strongly and consistently offers both increases in prosperity and reductions in poverty.States that gained economic freedom from 2010 to 2019 tend to…

Executive Summary

Read More: Tearing Down Barriers to Prosperity: How More Economic Freedom Can Reduce Poverty and Boost Prosperity in Pennsylvania

Criminal Justice Reform

Cash bail costs victims the most

  • Jennifer Stefano
  • January 2, 2023

Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer My friend recently shared a story with me about growing up in an abusive home. He requested I keep his name and personal…

Media Hit

Read More: Cash bail costs victims the most

Health Care

The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in Pennsylvania

  • Dr. David Mitchell, Dr. Moiz Bhai
  • December 5, 2022

Key Points More than 580,000 Pennsylvanians live in areas with a shortage of primary care professionals relative to the population. This shortage exists throughout the state but concentrates in rural…

Backgrounder

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Health Care

Remove barriers to increase health care access in Western Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 22, 2022

Originally published at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Nearly three years after the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, hospitals still struggle with significant labor shortages. Health care workers are…

Media Hit

Read More: Remove barriers to increase health care access in Western Pa.

Health Care

Report: Access to Health Care in Pa. Stymied by Restrictive State Laws

  • November 15, 2022

Harrisburg, PA – A new report from the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s leading free-market public policy research organization, found that Pennsylvania state laws that restrict the work of advanced practice…

Press Release

Read More: Report: Access to Health Care in Pa. Stymied by Restrictive State Laws

Health Care

How Full Practice Authority Can Increase Access and Improve Outcomes

  • November 15, 2022

Key Findings Marylanders in border counties have better health care outcomes, including fewer residents reporting fair or poor health and fewer residents with poor mental health days.Before full practice authority,…

Report

Read More: How Full Practice Authority Can Increase Access and Improve Outcomes

Criminal Justice Reform

Keeping kids in the community improves public safety

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 28, 2022

Originally published at City & State Pennsylvania Reforming the juvenile justice system is personal for Philadelphia native Jon Kelly.   “I cycled through several youth detention centers,”…

Media Hit

Read More: Keeping kids in the community improves public safety

Independence

Pa’s Wayward Welfare State

  • October 27, 2022

Summary Policies that expanded Medicaid eligibility to healthy, working-aged people and do not require the verification of eligibility have expanded the size and complexity of a program designed to focus…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pa’s Wayward Welfare State

Criminal Justice Reform

Juvenile Justice Reform

  • Jessica Barnett
  • August 3, 2022

Key Points The Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force (Task Force) found most youth entering the juvenile justice system committed low-level offenses and are “low risk to reoffend.”[1]Studies…

Backgrounder

Read More: Juvenile Justice Reform

Health Care

Medicaid’s Endless Expansion

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Stefanie Mason
  • July 5, 2022

Key Points Medicaid enrollment has surged, increasing by more than one million since 2015.[1] The program now covers more than one-quarter of all Pennsylvanians.Medicaid is the largest program…

Backgrounder

Read More: Medicaid’s Endless Expansion

Health Care

Nursing shortage can be fixed by speeding up the licensing process

  • Jennifer Stefano
  • May 30, 2022

Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania is currently enduring one ofthe worst nurse shortages in the nation. A shocking one in four nursing positions went unfilled…

Media Hit

Read More: Nursing shortage can be fixed by speeding up the licensing process