Pennsylvania’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

Yes, Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Raises Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 12, 2026

Originally published by PennLive. In his campaign-style budget address, Gov. Josh Shapiro claimed his budget neither enacts any new taxes nor requires future tax…

Media Hit

Read More: Yes, Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Raises Taxes

State Budget

Has Governor Shapiro Actually Cut Taxes?

  • February 12, 2026

Gov. Josh Shapiro desperately wants Pennsylvanians to believe he isn’t a run-of-the-mill tax-and-spend Democrat. “The Governor has cut taxes seven times,” claims one of his latest…

Blog

Read More: Has Governor Shapiro Actually Cut Taxes?

State Budget

Pennsylvania is Shrinking. We Need More Workers

  • Jacob Custer, Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2026

Originally published by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. New migration reports show that last year more people moved out of Pennsylvania than moved in, marking the commonwealth’s…

Media Hit

Read More: Pennsylvania is Shrinking. We Need More Workers

Education

Governor Shapiro Presents Unaffordable State Budget

  • February 3, 2026

Gov. Josh Shapiro returns to Pennsylvania to pitch spending plan families cannot afford.   Harrisburg, Pa., February 3, 2026 — In a campaign-style speech that doesn’t address the needs of Pennsylvanians, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered his 2026 state budget address, proposing a $3.2  billion spending…

Press Release

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State Budget

2026–27 State Budget: Tackling the Structural Deficit

  • February 2, 2026

Summary Pennsylvania’s structural deficit has reached $4.8 billion due to excessive spending. Under Gov. Josh Shapiro and his predecessor, Tom Wolf, state spending has consistently grown at a faster pace…

Fact Sheet

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State Budget

National Rankings Reveal Pennsylvania’s Subpar Economy 

  • January 28, 2026

A video companion of this press release for broadcast use is available here. Harrisburg, Pa., January 28, 2026 — Recent comments about Pennsylvania have left pundits asking, “Is the commonwealth’s economy ‘mediocre’?”  According…

Press Release

Read More: National Rankings Reveal Pennsylvania’s Subpar Economy 

State Budget

Pennsylvania’s Economy is Struggling to Compete Nationally

  • January 28, 2026

Overview Over the past few months, Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration have routinely touted Pennsylvania’s supposed economic success, portraying the commonwealth’s economy as “…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pennsylvania’s Economy is Struggling to Compete Nationally

State Budget

Shapiro Talks Affordability, but Pennsylvanians Pay the Price

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 23, 2026

Originally published by The Pottstown-Mercury. Gov. Josh Shapiro has made a habit of criticizing President Donald Trump over rising prices and “affordability.” Yet under Shapiro’s leadership,…

Media Hit

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State Budget

It’s the Spending, Stupid

  • Kevin Kane
  • January 22, 2026

Originally published by Delco Times. Every year, Pennsylvanians hear the same warning from lawmakers in Harrisburg: “The state doesn’t have enough money.” And every year, they’re…

Media Hit

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Education

What Pennsylvania Lawmakers Must Prioritize in 2026

  • Megan Martin, Stephen Bloom
  • January 5, 2026

Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Pennsylvania stands at a pivotal moment. Families are stretched thin by higher costs, and employers are weighing whether to invest here or elsewhere. We can’t…

Commentary

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Education

The Top Five Policy Victories of 2025—and a Look Ahead to 2026

  • December 31, 2025

Pennsylvania saw no shortage of controversies and political battles in 2025, including a four-month-long budget impasse. But this year also saw lawmakers enact several pro-growth policies—from expanding educational choice to…

Blog

Read More: The Top Five Policy Victories of 2025—and a Look Ahead to 2026

State Budget

The Highs and Lows of the New Pennsylvania Budget

  • Andrew Lewis
  • November 19, 2025

Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. After a four-month impasse, Pennsylvania lawmakers finally delivered the 2025–26 state budget. The newly minted spending plan offers some meaningful policy victories,…

Media Hit

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State Budget

What’s in the New Pennsylvania Budget?

  • November 17, 2025

After a protracted four-month impasse, Pennsylvania finally has a budget. Despite Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reckless spending proposal and opposition from radical Democrats in the state house, we achieved several wins…

Blog

Read More: What’s in the New Pennsylvania Budget?

Education

Despite Shapiro’s Failed Leadership, 2025-26 Budget Secures Key Permitting Wins, Ends Threat of RGGI

  • November 12, 2025

Harrisburg, Pa., November 12, 2025 — Despite Gov. Josh Shapiro’s failed leadership and a 135-day stalemate, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a compromise budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. The Commonwealth Foundation has released…

Press Release

Read More: Despite Shapiro’s Failed Leadership, 2025-26 Budget Secures Key Permitting Wins, Ends Threat of RGGI

Education

What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 State Budget

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 12, 2025

Summary Four months late, Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers agreed on a state budget deal. The agreement spends $1.4 billion less than Shapiro’s reckless, extreme proposal, and uses excessive…

Backgrounder

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State Budget

Gov. Josh Shapiro Still Ain’t “Getting Sh*t Done”

  • November 10, 2025

In The New York Times, columnist Binyamin Appelbaum thinks Gov. Josh Shapiro is the future of the Democratic Party. But Appelbaum’s puff piece ironically concluded that the Pennsylvania governor…

Blog

Read More: Gov. Josh Shapiro Still Ain’t “Getting Sh*t Done”