Education
Governor Shapiro’s Massive Budget Brings Excessive Spending, New Taxes, and Future Tax Hikes
Video statements for broadcast media are available here. Harrisburg, Pa., February 4, 2025 — Today, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered his 2025 Pennsylvania budget address, proposing a $3.9 billion spending increase.
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s Massive Budget Brings Excessive Spending, New Taxes, and Future Tax HikesPennsylvania’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.
Regulation
PLCB Borrowing Panned, Time to Privatize
There hasn’t been much to praise in this year’s budget battles. However, the governor’s announcement that he won’t try to borrow $1.25 billion against Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)…
Media
Read More: PLCB Borrowing Panned, Time to PrivatizeState Budget
Pennsylvania’s Sin Tax Addiction
Pennsylvania’s excess of excise—or so-called “sin”—taxes was the subject of a recent story in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The piece focused on the amount working people pay in taxes on…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Sin Tax AddictionState Budget
What’s on the November Ballot: Property Taxes and Judges
In addition to several statewide judicial races, the upcoming November election includes a ballot measure that could change the way Pennsylvanians pay taxes or make no difference at all. Judicial Races…
Media
Read More: What’s on the November Ballot: Property Taxes and JudgesRegulation
Progress and Setbacks in the 2017-18 Budget
Pennsylvania’s four-month budget battle is just about over, thanks to an assortment of targeted tax hikes and fee increases along with borrowing and one-time transfers. However, lawmakers and the governor…
Media
Read More: Progress and Setbacks in the 2017-18 BudgetState Budget
Debt Ahead, but Reform Is Coming, Too
The General Assembly is on the verge of authorizing HB 785, which could add more than $1.2 billion to the state’s debt load. The legislation would amend the Capital…
Media
Read More: Debt Ahead, but Reform Is Coming, TooState Budget
Gov. Wolf’s Borrowing Schemes Won’t Work
Gov. Wolf’s careless decision to overspend last year has played a significant role in this latest budget impasse. Frustrated with the pace of the process, the governor decided to…
Media
Read More: Gov. Wolf’s Borrowing Schemes Won’t WorkState Budget
Pennsylvania Needs (Tax) Climate Change
What does it take to be #26? The Tax Foundation has the answer. The independent tax policy group released its latest State Business Climate Tax Index, which ranks each…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Needs (Tax) Climate ChangeState Budget
What’s in the Latest House Revenue Plan
The state House approved another revenue plan late last night, potentially signaling an end to the 2017-18 budget negotiations. The bill, HB 542, would allow the commonwealth to…
Media
Read More: What’s in the Latest House Revenue PlanRegulation
How Should Pennsylvania Attract Amazon?
Amazon has been dominating Pennsylvania business news since announcing its interest in creating a second U.S. headquarters (HQ2). Several regions of the state are expected to contend for this new…
Media
Read More: How Should Pennsylvania Attract Amazon?Regulation
Liquor Store Loan? Don’t Bank on It
Gov. Wolf’s plan to borrow more than $1 billion against PLCB revenue to balance the budget makes little sense. Under Wolf’s plan to “monetize” our liquor system, the state’s General…
Commentary
Read More: Liquor Store Loan? Don’t Bank on ItState Budget
Fact Check: Did the budget deal include an agreement to raise taxes?
Gov. Wolf has angrily accused the House of refusing to pass a tax increase, implying it was agreed to when the spending plan passed on June 30. But a check…
Media
Read More: Fact Check: Did the budget deal include an agreement to raise taxes?Health Care
Wolf’s Wrongheaded Veto Threat
Governor Wolf intends to veto Pennsylvania’s welfare code (HB 59) due to a reform contained within the bill—even though the reform can reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. The modest reform instructs the…
Media
Read More: Wolf’s Wrongheaded Veto ThreatRegulation
Tapping Indebted PLCB to Pay Down Debt a Risky Bet
In a press conference yesterday, Gov. Wolf announced a plan to borrow from future PLCB “profits” to pay off last year’s budget deficit. Under the governor’s proposal, the state’s…
Press Release
Read More: Tapping Indebted PLCB to Pay Down Debt a Risky BetRegulation
Gov. Wolf Proposes Using Debt-Ridden Agency to Pay Down Debt
In a press conference yesterday, Gov. Wolf announced a plan to borrow from future PLCB “profits” to pay off last year’s budget deficit. Under the governor’s plan, the state’s…
Media
Read More: Gov. Wolf Proposes Using Debt-Ridden Agency to Pay Down DebtEducation
Wolf Administration’s Disregard for the Law is Hurting Pennsylvanians
Gov. Wolf's refusal to release approval letters for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs is causing needless pain for families, students, schools, and…
Media
Read More: Wolf Administration’s Disregard for the Law is Hurting PennsylvaniansRegulation
An Inhospitable Tax Increase
Another day, another tax. The newest plan to fill a $2.2 billion budget hole includes a 5 percent increase to the hotel tax, along with a new tax on fireworks and third-party online…
Media
Read More: An Inhospitable Tax IncreaseState Budget
Four Alternatives to the Warehouse Tax
The latest tax proposal to balance the $2.2 billion budget shortfall is receiving a cool reception. The tax hike under consideration would extend the sales tax to commercial warehouses. The…
Media
Read More: Four Alternatives to the Warehouse TaxState Budget
What’s Next for the 2017-18 Budget?
What does the Senate's vote to non-concur mean? How does a conference committee work? How does the credit downgrade affect the budget? Negotiations over the 2017-18 budget have raised interesting…
Memo
Read More: What’s Next for the 2017-18 Budget?Education
Gov. Wolf’s Indefensible Decisions Continue to Hurt Students
Pennsylvania’s successful scholarship programs—the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC)—are in danger once again. The Wolf Administration has delayed the programs’ approval letters, which…
Media
Read More: Gov. Wolf’s Indefensible Decisions Continue to Hurt StudentsRegulation
PLCB Strikes Again!
As lawmakers continue to debate balancing the state budget, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) gave Pennsylvanians yet another reason to privatize the antiquated liquor system. The agency unleashed…
Media
Read More: PLCB Strikes Again!State Budget
“Recurring Revenues” Lead to Recurring Pain
The House’s preferred approach to close the state’s $2.2 billion deficit recently came under fire for its reliance on one-time revenue sources rather than recurring revenues, i.e., tax increases. But this…
Media
Read More: “Recurring Revenues” Lead to Recurring Pain