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.
State Budget
Turnpike Commission Defends Ballooning Debt
Following our post yesterday, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wanted to make sure we saw their response to Auditor General Jack Wagner’s warning on their growing debt. The Turnpike…
Media
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Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in Perspective
Yesterday, Gov. Corbett and the Office of the Budget released a list of 2011-12 budgetary freezes—reductions in spending from the enacted General Fund budget—due in part to revenue shortfalls. I…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in PerspectiveRegulation
Time to End Borrowing for Corporate Welfare
The Pa. House is expected to vote this week on SB 1054, legislation to authorize $1.66 billion in state borrowing for the “capital budget.” The annual cost of this…
Media
Read More: Time to End Borrowing for Corporate WelfareEducation
Penn State’s Smallest Tuition Hike in Years
The conventional wisdom ever since March 8, when Gov. Tom Corbett made his budget address, has been very simple: The sky is falling! How, exactly? In the form of crippling…
Media
Read More: Penn State’s Smallest Tuition Hike in YearsEducation
Corbett’s First Inning Scorecard
July signals the coming of two breaks in Pennsylvania—Major League Baseball's All-Star break and the end of the state budget season. Having endured his first budget as the commonwealth's chief…
Commentary
Read More: Corbett’s First Inning ScorecardEducation
Cut Waste at This Temple, and I Will Praise It in Three Days
Temple University just announced that it is raising tuition by ten percent, blaming the new state budget. Temple is an outstanding example of an institution that should have spent…
Media
Read More: Cut Waste at This Temple, and I Will Praise It in Three DaysState Budget
Pennsylvania’s $1.9 Billion Budget Shortfall
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released preliminary FY 2010-11 revenue collection. Their statement says: Fiscal year 2010-11 General Fund collections totaled $27.5 billion, which is $785.5 million,…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s $1.9 Billion Budget ShortfallState Budget
The Good, The Bad and The Undone
The Commonwealth Foundation praised Gov. Tom Corbett and the General Assembly for closing Pennsylvania’s $4.2 billion budget gap without raising taxes on working Pennsylvanians, but a thorough review of the…
Press Release
Read More: The Good, The Bad and The UndoneState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget for Smarties
The total state operating budget is $64 billion...and will be reduced for the first time in at least 40 years. While adults employed in public schools complain education is being…
Poll
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General Fund Spending in Budget Deal
The FY 2011-12 budget deal includes $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, as part of the state's approximately $64 billion total operating budget. The deal represents a reduction of $3…
Fact Sheet
Read More: General Fund Spending in Budget DealEducation
University Subsidy Bills Nixed, What Now?
Last night, Pennsylvania House Democrats voted to defeat legislation on state subsidies for Penn State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Temple University, as well as for…
Media
Read More: University Subsidy Bills Nixed, What Now?Education
Don’t Fall for the False Choice on Tuition and Taxpayers
I see that right now, our legislators are once again debating cuts to the generous subsidies our public universities receive from taxpayers. Some are claiming that if the cuts pass,…
Media
Read More: Don’t Fall for the False Choice on Tuition and TaxpayersState Budget
Unemployment Compensation Reform on Tap
This week, the House is expected to take up SB 1030, which would change Unemployment Compensation guidelines to ensured continue benefits for about 45,000 Pennsylvanians and help bring the…
Media
Read More: Unemployment Compensation Reform on TapRegulation
Pennsylvania State Pension Liabilities
PSERS and SERS project total taxpayer contributions will increase from $1.1 billion this year to more than $5.5 billion in 2016—a 421% increase in five years.
Fact Sheet
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The Phony “Surplus”
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released May General Fund tax collection data, and many lawmakers are clamoring to spend this “surplus”. But the idea there is any “surplus” is…
Media
Read More: The Phony “Surplus”Public Union Democracy
Pennsylvania’s State Union Contracts
On June 30, 2011, 15 of the state's 19 government union contracts expire, with two more expiring in August. These 19 public sector unions represent 62,271 state employees, whose compensation…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania’s State Union ContractsRegulation
Have Casinos Hurt Lottery Sales?
According to a new report from the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, the presence of casinos does not have a negative impact on state lottery revenues. At the same…
Media
Read More: Have Casinos Hurt Lottery Sales?State Budget
Is Gas Drilling Behind the Surplus?
A reader asks if natural gas drilling is behind April’s higher than estimated tax revenues — what legislators are now calling a “budget surplus.” It would be difficult to definitively make that claim,…
Media
Read More: Is Gas Drilling Behind the Surplus?State Budget
PA House Passes Fiscally Responsible Budget
Last night, the Pennsylvania House passed a $27.3 billion General Fund budget bill (HB 1485). The fiscally responsible proposal includes no new taxes, prioritizes resources and maintains the…
Media
Read More: PA House Passes Fiscally Responsible BudgetHealth Care
Rescuing the States from Medicaid
State Medicaid spending has increased four times faster than elementary and secondary education spending and nine times faster than transportation spending over the past two decades. In Pennsylvania,…
Media
Read More: Rescuing the States from MedicaidState Budget
PA House GOP Outlines Budget Proposal
The House Republicans unveiled their Pennsylvania State Budget Proposal yesterday, HB 1485. The bill is set for an Appropriations Committee vote this week, and a full House vote…
Media
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