Regulation
Cutting Red Tape in Pennsylvania
This report presents findings from Mercatus Center’s State RegData database, analyzing regulations in the Pennsylvania Code as of 2022. The report provides an overview of state regulations, how Pennsylvania’s regulatory…
Read More: Cutting Red Tape in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania’s notoriously high level of regulation is a burden on our state economy. To make the Keystone State a competitive place to live, work, or grow a business, reforms are needed to rein in the regulatory process. Taxpayers deserve a streamlined regulatory process that scrutinizes proposed regulations to ensure frivolous reforms do not overburden the state economy and do not prevent job-seekers from accessing employment.
Regulation
Privatizing Workers’ Compensation
Leonard Gilroy of the Reason Foundation recently highlighted the trend to privatize workers’ compensation. Some of the experimentation occurring in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona began before…
Media
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Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Corporate Taxes
The Commonwealth has the second highest state corporate income tax (behind Iowa, which has more generous deductions and exemptions). When compounding state and federal corporate taxes, Pennsylvania's corporate income tax…
Fact Sheet
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Allentown & the Failure of Sports Venue Subsidies
The $80 million taxpayer-funded hockey arena in Allentown will have to wait a couple years, as in addition to the stadium, it requires a multi-million new highway. Allentown is…
Media
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PA Senate Commission IDs Spending Cuts
In February, the Senate established a bipartisan commission to identify cost-savings measure for the Pennsylvania state budget could save money. David Argall, the chairman of…
Media
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McDonalds Needs ‘Sad Meals’ to Help Powerless Parents
McDonald’s Happy Meals are under attack. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has threatened to sue the restaurant chain if they continue to include…
Media
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The Terror of Unlicensed Interior Designers
The Patriot News has a short article about Pennsylvania lawmakers consider legislation to require interior designers to get a license with the state. To get a license, an interior…
Media
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A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania
A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania identifies opportunities to cut over $4 billion in wasteful state spending in Gov. Rendell's proposed FY 2010-11 budget. The report also offers…
Report
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Knee-Jerk Reaction on Liquor Store Privatization
Following yesterday’s post of Rep. Mike Turzai talking about liquor store privatization, I got a couple of replies via Twitter from “Swanny88,” which makes…
Media
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Video: Privatizing PA Liquor Stores
State Rep. Mike Turzai stops by to talk about his proposal to privatize Pennsylvania’s wine and spirit sales in a new video: Click the links in this…
Media
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$27 Billion Pension “Reform”: Still Doubling Down on Generational Theft
On June 16, the PA House passed pension "non-reform" by further deferring the scheduled taxpayers' contributions to the state's largest government pension plans - the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS)…
Commentary
Read More: $27 Billion Pension “Reform”: Still Doubling Down on Generational TheftRegulation
PA Teacher Unions Endorse Reduced Pension Benefits, Deferring Contributions
An amendment to the pension deferral bill in the Pennsylvania House would reduce the retirement benefits for new state and school employees, but would continue Gov. Rendell’s proposed…
Media
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Rendell’s $52 Billion Pension “Reform”
Gov. Rendell and the Democrat-controlled House are trying to redefine pension "reform" by further deferring the scheduled taxpayers' contributions to the state's largest government pension plans - the Public School…
Commentary
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Why Every Teacher Should Stop Paying PSEA Dues
A couple of stories about Pennsylvania’s pension crisis reveal some crazy talk (HT Grassroots PA). First, in an article covering some proposed reforms, Gov. Rendell claims gambling will…
Media
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Are Pennsylvania Taxes “Money Well Spent?”
Gov. Rendell proposes balancing the state budget with a combination of new and higher taxes, another federal bailout, and additional state borrowing. When confronted by opposition to additional taxes on…
Commentary
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Babies Buying Beer?
Those who profit from Pennsylvania’s current liquor distribution monopoly have an ongoing campaign to stop liquor store privatization. One ad shows a man at a gas pump looking at cases…
Media
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Green Jobs and the Broken Window Fallacy
On behalf of the Commonwealth Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg, we would like to thank Chairman Saylor and the members of the…
Testimony
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Are Government Workers Underpaid?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a new report showing state and local government workers earn far more than their private sector counterparts. The Wall Street Journal…
Media
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Ethics of Tobacco Advisory Committee Goes Up in Smoke
Several groups have requested investigation of, or filed ethics complaints against, members of the FDA’s new Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC). Identified in March 2010, the TPSAC’s…
Media
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Tobacco Tax Fact Check (Part Two)
This is the second half of a two part blog, fact checking tmyths about tobacco taxes. This blog focuses on what the some call a good tax model –…
Media
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Why Taxing Natural Gas Won’t Solve PA Budget Woes
Here is a letter I sent in to the Scranton Times Tribune (a slightly edited version was printed today) on the proposed natural gas severance tax and the Pennsylvania…
Media
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The $52 Billion Pension Deferral Plan
Legislation that would implement Gov. Rendell’s deferral of payment on state pension obligations is under debate in Pennsylvania House. HB 2497 would limit the annual increased in the…
Media
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