Prosperity
How to Balance the PA State Budget
Key Points Pennsylvania faces a $3.6 billion structural deficit in fiscal year (FY) 2024–25. Unless addressed, the deficit will require massive tax increases on working families by next year. Extreme…
Read More: How to Balance the PA State BudgetPennsylvania’s complex state budget has enabled policymakers to keep taxpayers in the dark when it comes to state spending. Year after year, some elected officials use budget gimmicks to both make the budget appear balanced and to secure their own agendas. Pennsylvanians deserve reforms that bring true transparency to the budgeting process. We must limit spending growth to a sustainable rate, ensuring the state government—like hardworking taxpayers—live within its means.
State Budget
Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 2
The state legislature controls less than half of all state revenue. The rest is on autopilot, flowing automatically through a maze of accounts and undermining the constituional plan for accountabilty…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 2Regulation
Good Returns Won’t Close the Gap
The state teachers’ pension fund, PSERS, just reported a 6.7% return over the past twelve months. That is a very good investment return. Sadly, when starting from a deep…
Media
Read More: Good Returns Won’t Close the GapRegulation
Pensions and Pa’s Poor Fiscal Health
Pennsylvania recently underwent a “fiscal physical’ and didn’t exactly come out with a clean bill of health. Truth in Accounting, an economic think tank, recently released its report on the…
Media
Read More: Pensions and Pa’s Poor Fiscal HealthState Budget
Soda Taxes Target the Poor
Soda may not be on the list of Seven Deadly Sins but try telling that to lawmakers in Philadelphia. On January 1, 2017, the city instituted a tax of 1.5…
Media
Read More: Soda Taxes Target the PoorRegulation
Mimosa Monopoly
Pennsylvania is waging a secret war on millennials. Okay, maybe not on millennials, but definitely on brunch, and that’s pretty much the same thing. The deleterious effect of Pennsylvania’s sky-high…
Media
Read More: Mimosa MonopolyState Budget
How to Improve State Budgeting Practices
The following testimony was given at the Pennsylvania Fiscal and Economic Summit at York College on August 22, 2019. Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning on…
Testimony
Read More: How to Improve State Budgeting PracticesState Budget
The Taxpayer Protection Act Is Commonsense
For over a decade, various lawmakers have introduced Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) legislation to get a handle on Pennsylvania’s out of control budget. This overspending hurts our economy, drives away…
Media
Read More: The Taxpayer Protection Act Is CommonsenseState Budget
Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 1
Pennsylvania's largest budget items are growing unsustainably fast. The budget can only be brought under control only if these cost drivers are addressed.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 1State Budget
A $673 Million Mistake…Isn’t a Mistake
In June, when the state legislature passed the budget, they included something extra: a $673 million “supplemental appropriation” to cover overspending in the previous fiscal year. In other words, the Wolf…
Media
Read More: A $673 Million Mistake…Isn’t a MistakeState Budget
Pennsylvania is NOT Taking Care of Business
Pennsylvania is the 5th worst state to start a business, according to a new study by Wallethub. Only Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island fare worse. Then,…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania is NOT Taking Care of BusinessState Budget
Applause for ‘Mature’ Debt Reform, but More Needed
Good policy isn’t always controversial. House Bill 24, which was signed into law on July 2, caused no floor theatrics, mass tweeting, or activist howls. The bill, proposed by Rep. John Lawrence…
Media
Read More: Applause for ‘Mature’ Debt Reform, but More NeededGovernment Accountability
Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and Unconstitutional
A wise buyer should always read the fine print, but it isn’t easy. Documents like cell phone contracts and software user agreements can be hard to read, often by design. The dense language…
Media
Read More: Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and UnconstitutionalEducation
Getting Real About Education Spending
Another budget season has come and gone in Harrisburg. As usual, education spending was one of the hottest topics. Constant demands for “more money” by teachers’ unions and their…
Media
Read More: Getting Real About Education SpendingState Budget
This Year’s Budget Continues Past Trends
The 2019-2020 budget spending bill is on the governor’s desk and lawmakers are claiming it represents an increase of only 1.8 percent over last year. If this were true, it would…
Media
Read More: This Year’s Budget Continues Past TrendsState Budget
Budget Spares Taxpayers, Boosts School Choice, but Leaves Much Undone
June 28, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, lawmakers put the finishing touches on a state budget that spares Pennsylvanians from tax hikes, grows the state’s beleaguered Rainy Day Fund, and boosts school…
Press Release
Read More: Budget Spares Taxpayers, Boosts School Choice, but Leaves Much UndoneState Budget
State Can Build on Tax Reform Boom
To attract the investment and job creators that will secure our future, we can—and must—do better. Luckily, lawmakers have the blueprint they need to make our state competitive: Control spending…
Commentary
Read More: State Can Build on Tax Reform BoomEducation
Common EITC and OSTC Misconceptions
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” This saying is even more true in the internet age. Case in point: recent falsehoods…
Media
Read More: Common EITC and OSTC MisconceptionsEducation
Five Things Lawmakers Should Know About the State Budget Deal
Less than a week before the start of the 2019-20 fiscal year, legislative leaders unveiled a proposed state budget—including both the spending and revenue outline, and several policy changes that…
Media
Read More: Five Things Lawmakers Should Know About the State Budget DealState Budget
Future Growth Depends on Today’s Lawmakers
Federal tax cuts made Pennsylvania’s current economic growth possible, but state reform could make it sustainable. Today Pennsylvanians are enjoying $866 million in surplus state revenue, an all-time low unemployment rate,…
Media
Read More: Future Growth Depends on Today’s LawmakersState Budget
Lawmakers Show Signs of Budget Restraint
When state revenues outpace spending there’s always a temptation to spend more—in fact, even when revenues fall short…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers Show Signs of Budget RestraintEducation
Fiscal Forgetfulness
Next year the governor wants to spend $1.4 billion more than he requested for this year, according to his recent budget proposal. Separately he’ll need as much as $750 million…
Media
Read More: Fiscal Forgetfulness