Education
2024–25 State Budget Analysis
Key Points Pennsylvania’s $47.6 billion 2024–25 budget creates a $3.6 billion structural deficit. This will exhaust General Fund reserves, which will require draining from the Rainy Day fund—illegally—or raising taxes…
Read More: 2024–25 State Budget AnalysisPennsylvania’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.
2024 state budget resources
State Budget
Pa.’s Economic Outlook is Poor but Not Permanent
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released its annual Rich States, Poor States’ report, which includes economic rankings for each state. Unfortunately, the news isn’t good for Pennsylvania. The state…
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Read More: Pa.’s Economic Outlook is Poor but Not PermanentState Budget
News Release: Pa. Spends Nearly One-Third of Year Working to Pay Taxes
April 18 was this year’s tax return filing deadline, but how long do Pennsylvanians work to earn enough to pay their total tax bill? In 2017, that date—dubbed Tax Freedom…
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Read More: News Release: Pa. Spends Nearly One-Third of Year Working to Pay TaxesState Budget
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: April 2017
Revenue collections fell below expectations for the fifth consecutive month. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue reported collections of approximately $4.4 billion last week, which was $229.6 million less than…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: April 2017Regulation
House Budget Represents a Step Towards Fiscal Stewardship
House Republicans committed to changing Pennsylvania yesterday. The caucus released its proposed 2017-18 budget, which stands in stark contrast to Gov. Wolf’s tax-and-spend proposals. The House Appropriations Committee has…
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Read More: House Budget Represents a Step Towards Fiscal StewardshipState Budget
Should Pennsylvania Strive to Become #51?
Political realities forced Gov. Wolf to scale back his record tax-and-spend proposals from the past two years. Still, he didn’t completely abandon his government-centric approach, opting to include $1…
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Read More: Should Pennsylvania Strive to Become #51?Regulation
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2017
February proved to be another poor month for revenue collections. For the fourth straight month—and now seven of the last eight—collections fell short of official estimates from the the Pennsylvania Department of…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2017Health Care
Double-Down on Reinventing Government
Imagine if Stephen King had written Green Eggs and Ham. What if Dr. Seuss had penned The Shining? Gov. Wolf’s third budget address was an equally disorienting shift in tone…
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Read More: Double-Down on Reinventing GovernmentRegulation
Employee Compensation Drives Spending Growth
PennLive released a list of state government employees earning more than $100,000 in salary today. While the list should open some eyes, it doesn’t capture the full cost of…
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Read More: Employee Compensation Drives Spending GrowthState Budget
News Release: Wolf Pivots on Massive Tax Hikes, Offers Limited Structural Reforms
Budget Includes Belt-Tightening But Relies on $1 Billion in New Taxes February 7, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—Pivoting from the past two years, Governor Tom Wolf today proposed a state budget that…
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Read More: News Release: Wolf Pivots on Massive Tax Hikes, Offers Limited Structural ReformsState Budget
Five Takeaways From the Governors Budget Proposal
This morning Governor Wolf laid out his plan for the 2017-18 state budget. Here are the five things you need to know: 1. Shift to redesigning government. This is a…
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Read More: Five Takeaways From the Governors Budget ProposalPublic Union Democracy
Budget Solution: Stop Paying Extra for Construction Projects
'Prevailing Wage' Costs Pennsylvanians Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Yearly February 6, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—Can you imagine taking your car to the shop for a major repair, learning…
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Read More: Budget Solution: Stop Paying Extra for Construction ProjectsState Budget
Budget Solution of the Week: Welfare Reform
No series on budget solutions would be complete without a taking a look at the fastest growing state department, the Department of Human Services (DHS). The Independent Fiscal Office projects…
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Read More: Budget Solution of the Week: Welfare ReformState Budget
State Budget Solution #5: Tackle the Shadow Budget
General Fund Budget Is Just 40 Percent of State Government’s True Cost February 3, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—With budget season launching, most public discussion will focus on the General Fund…
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Read More: State Budget Solution #5: Tackle the Shadow BudgetState Budget
Fixing the Spending Problem: Cutting Corporate Welfare and Privatizing Liquor
Recently, CF’s Elizabeth Stelle appeared on WNPV Radio’s “Regarding Your Money” with host George Toth to discuss Pennsylvania’s growing deficit. Our budget deficit this year is projected to pass…
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Read More: Fixing the Spending Problem: Cutting Corporate Welfare and Privatizing LiquorState Budget
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: February 2017
Revenue collections underperformed again in January, according to the Department of Revenue. This is the third straight month—and the sixth of the last seven—in which revenue collections fell short of official…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: February 2017State Budget
Opportunity Knocks for State Budget Innovation
“Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.” Pennsylvanians should heed these words from author H. Jackson Brown, Jr. in the upcoming budget season. Governor Wolf and key legislative…
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Read More: Opportunity Knocks for State Budget InnovationState Budget
State Budget Solution #4: Cut Corporate Welfare
Pa. Leads Nation in Wasteful Corporate Subsidies at $6 Billion Since 2007 February 1, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—This year state government will transfer more than $800 million from Pennsylvanians…
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Read More: State Budget Solution #4: Cut Corporate WelfareHealth Care
The Case for Block Granting Medicaid
Governor Wolf is decrying efforts in Washington to give states more control over Medicaid through a block grant. This will have a devastating impact for many Pennsylvanians, and…
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Read More: The Case for Block Granting MedicaidEducation
State Budget Solution #3: Student-Focused Education Funding
Education Spending Must Put Children’s Needs First January 25, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—This week marks National School Choice Week, which recognizes the importance of ensuring children have…
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Read More: State Budget Solution #3: Student-Focused Education FundingRegulation
Budget Solution of the Week: Reduce Special Interest Spending
In our budget solutions blog series, we’ve covered the benefits of a government efficiency review, the need to modernize the commonwealth’s corrections system, and the importance of…
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Read More: Budget Solution of the Week: Reduce Special Interest SpendingEducation
Budget Solution of the Week: School Choice
Earlier this month, House Majority Leader Dave Reed challenged his colleagues to change the way Harrisburg operates: “Now is the time to reimagine and redesign government, our state and…
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Read More: Budget Solution of the Week: School Choice