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
Education
Commonwealth Foundation Survey Provides Voter Insights as Legislature Wraps Up Budget
Harrisburg, Pa., June 27, 2023 — Pennsylvania voters remain pessimistic about Pennsylvania’s economy, and they expect state lawmakers to keep a tight rein on the state budget, according to a…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Survey Provides Voter Insights as Legislature Wraps Up BudgetEducation
Commonwealth Foundation Offers Gov. Shapiro Helping Hand to Deliver on Campaign Promises
Harrisburg, Pa., May 17, 2023 – The Commonwealth Foundation today kicked off an advocacy campaign called “Shapiro’s Promises” to generate support for bipartisan initiatives that Gov. Josh Shapiro committed…
Press Release
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Commonwealth Foundation’s Jennifer Stefano on OAN 4.12.2023
Commonwealth Foundation’s Jennifer Stefano appeared on OAN to discuss the findings of the Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll.
Media
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Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll Findings
Summary The Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll, conducted March 24-29, is the first in a series of quarterly surveys taking the pulse of voters on the “state of the…
Memo
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What is real freedom?
Originally published at LNP Gov. Josh Shapiro likes to talk about “real freedom” — a familiar campaign promise repeated eight times in his inaugural speech and twice in his…
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Governor Shapiro’s First Budget Falls Short
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first state budget proposal perpetuates unsustainable spending and fails to address the most promising ideas he put forward during his campaign. For…
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Shapiro paid homage to conservative ideas in his budget address
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer The most notable part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address last week is what he left unsaid. He…
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Commonwealth Foundation Sr. VP Nathan Benefield Responds to Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Priorities
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Key Takeaways from Gov. Shapiro’s 2023 Budget Address
Profligacy Exacerbates Budget Deficit Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget calls for $45.9 billion in ongoing General Fund spending and $43 billion in net state revenues (after refunds). Thus, Pennsylvania has…
Report
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Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield Statement of Governor Shapiro’s Budget Priorities
Harrisburg, Pa., Mar. 7, 2023 — Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Nathan Benefield issued today the following response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first budget address: “The budget…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield Statement of Governor Shapiro’s Budget PrioritiesEducation
Speaker Rozzi’s Listening Tour Testimony
Mr. Speaker and members of the working group, thank you for allowing Commonwealth Foundation to provide brief comments on the importance of the house returning to work. My name is…
Testimony
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Pennsylvania State Budget Outlook
In November, the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released its Five Year Economic and Budget Outlook. Here are several trends for lawmakers. Pennsylvania’s Economy Remains Stagnant IFO forecasts Pennsylvania’s…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania’s next governor will face a looming budget deficit
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer In 2019-2020, over 75,000 kids in Pennsylvania were denied a chance to leave their failing schools. Now there will be 30,000 fewer,…
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PA Budget: Unsustainable spending, some big wins
July 7, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today passed a state budget plan that exceeds Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget proposal by $300 million, with ongoing spending…
Press Release
Read More: PA Budget: Unsustainable spending, some big winsProsperity
What to know about the 2022 state budget deal
Pennsylvania lawmakers today unveiled the next fiscal year’s state budget plan. The Bad News: This budget represents excessive growth in government spending, increasing state spending by 10.7 percent over last…
Memo
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Commonwealth Foundation Warns Governor: Don’t Inflate the Budget
June 22, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Commonwealth Foundation today urged Pennsylvania state legislators to resist Gov. Tom Wolf’s efforts to “inflate the budget” in the face of skyrocketing inflation ravaging Pennsylvanians’…
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2022 Pa. Budget Checklist
Limit Spending to Help Pennsylvanians Cope with Inflation Record inflation caused by federal overspending is hitting Pennsylvanians hard. Inflation is up 8.6 percent from last year and…
Fact Sheet
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Examining Wolf’s revisionist history
Originally printed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette What will Pennsylvanians remember about Gov. Tom Wolf? This is his final year in office, and Mr. Wolf’s original priorities remain mostly…
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A real budget can bring prosperity to Pennsylvania
Originally published in The Patriot-News In in his annual budget address last week, Gov. Tom Wolf patted himself on the back for his management of the state’s finances. He…
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Five Takeaways from Gov. Wolf’s Budget
February 8, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — In his final budget address Tuesday, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed an unaffordable spending increase while claiming the mantle of fiscal responsibility. Commonwealth Foundation Senior…
Press Release
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Credit Where Due: Fiscal Wins to Build on in the 2022 State Budget
February 7, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — Gov. Tom Wolf has spent his final year in office claiming credit for fiscally-responsible policies enacted during his tenure, and he will attempt…
Press Release
Read More: Credit Where Due: Fiscal Wins to Build on in the 2022 State Budget