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
Governing “Responsibly”
Lowman Henry has another good commentary on the Pennsylvania state budget “deal” over at PA Town Hall: I find it interesting that when Democrats stick to…
Media
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Pennsylvania Budget Deal Appears Dead
The news service Capitolwire (subscribers only) is reporting that PA House Democrat leaders are admitting they don’t have enough votes to pass the state budget deal, give all of…
Media
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An Honest Budget Debate
Gov. Rendell and many lawmakers continue to push higher taxes in Pennsylvania, using the rhetoric that if we don’t, students won’t learn,…
Media
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Re-examine Public Welfare Spending
Pennsylvania has, as of this writing, gone 90 days without a budget, longer than any other state. The impasse has been driven by Gov. Rendell's demand for higher spending and…
Commentary
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Is Gov. Rendell “for the Kids” at All?
On Friday, the REACH Foundation hosted a rally at the state capitol in defense of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit, which…
Media
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PA Budget Deal Undone?
It would seem that the reported Pennsylvania state budget ‘deal’ is in jeopardy: GrassrootsPA reports at least 5 Senate Republicans will…
Media
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PA Budget Impasse Can’t Stop Another Million Dollar Consulting Deal
John Micek of the Morning Call reports that the Pennsylvania state Treasurer has awarded a $928,000 consulting contract for marketing of the prepaid college tuition program – a program…
Media
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Higher Taxes to Buy More Nintendo Wii’s?
A PA House GOP staffer dug up this little item of pork barrel spending, courtesy State Representative Jesse White: The Wii challenge came about after I helped…
Media
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Will Lawmakers Put Hollywood Before School Children?
Governor Rendell and three legislative caucuses are kicking low-income children out of their classrooms to fund handout to Big Hollywood studios. This is beyond bad policy – it’s blatant…
Media
Read More: Will Lawmakers Put Hollywood Before School Children?Government Accountability
How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?
Dale Davenport had an excellent editorial in the Patriot over the weekend, noting how annual budgeting and the move to a full-time, professional legislature altereed Pennsylvania’s state budget forever: …
Media
Read More: How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?State Budget
Understanding the Single Sales Factor
Philly.com Blogger Ben Waxman has a post about moving Pennsylvania to a single-sales factor on corporate income taxes, calling it a “big tax break for corporations”, based on…
Media
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Stupid Quote of the Day
Sen. Jake Corman tells the Associated Press that a proposal to charge the sales tax to performing arts and museums is a “user fee”: A plan to extend…
Media
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Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt
A new commentary in American Enterprise Institute’s journal, The American, highlights a seemingly “perfect storm” of historical events that have facilitated the out-of-control spending of…
Media
Read More: Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control DebtGovernment Accountability
Reforming the Budget Process in Pennsylvania
In the political world, 2009 will be remembered as the year that Pennsylvania went longer than any other state without a budget. The Commonwealth went months past the June 30th…
Commentary
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Scare Tactics in the Budget
John Baer writes – albeit a bit late – on how politicians use scare tactics, i.e. the “Washington Monument Ploy” to…
Media
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What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?
Last week Matt Brouillette called out Senate Republicans for moving toward a budget deal with higher taxes, backing off their line in the…
Media
Read More: What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?State Budget
Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal
Gov. Rendell and legislative leaders from three caucuses (House Republicans were not involved) announced a deal on the Pennsylvania state budget. Via PLS and Capitolwire (subscription), here…
Media
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Senate GOP Can Still Protect Taxpayers
Earlier this year, state Senate Republicans drew a line in the sand, stating they would not support a budget that: 1) spends more than last fiscal year; 2) includes broad-based…
Commentary
Read More: Senate GOP Can Still Protect TaxpayersState Budget
ACORN Got $200,000 from PA Taxpayers
Given all the recent scandals surrounding ACORN, the vote to defund them in the US Senate, and the Census severing ties with ACORN, it raises an interesting…
Media
Read More: ACORN Got $200,000 from PA TaxpayersState Budget
Enacting an Irresponsible Budget
Way back on July 1, 2009, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi penned an excellent commentary, “Enacting a Responsible Budget,” urging “the Governor and the House Democratic leaders to support a…
Media
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Braveheart and the PA State Budget
I’ve compared Pennsylvania policy-making to Braveheart before, but the move from a public conference committee to secret,…
Media
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