Education
Lawmakers can ease financial worries of Pennsylvanians
Originally published at LNP The struggle is real. When asked about their families’ financial situation, only 17% of Pennsylvanians see themselves as better off now than two years ago,…
Read More: Lawmakers can ease financial worries of PennsylvaniansHigh taxes make for a slow-growing economy. And communities feel the pinch of high taxes as more and more native Pennsylvanians leave the Keystone State to prosper elsewhere. To remain economically competitive, Pennsylvania must lower state taxes and ensure businesses have the opportunity to succeed. Lower taxes will incentivize more individuals to call Pennsylvania their home, ultimately spurring our statewide economy forward.
State Budget
Op-Ed: Should Pennsylvanians Pay More for The Walking Dead?
Thanks to last year’s state budget, you’re paying more to watch House of Cards. This year, The Walking Dead—and a host of other cable TV shows—could cost you more, too. …
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Should Pennsylvanians Pay More for The Walking Dead?State Budget
The Tax Hike Non-Solution
Contrary to the prevailing media narrative, it appears budget negotiations have taken a positive turn. According to Jason Gottesman of The PLS Reporter (paywall), House Republicans—led by Speaker Mike Turzai—have offered…
Media
Read More: The Tax Hike Non-SolutionTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania’s Poor Showings Aren’t Permanent
The commonwealth continues to score poorly in 24/7 Wall St.’s list of the nation’s best-and worst-run states, ranking 42nd right between neighbors West Virginia and New Jersey. Put differently, Pennsylvania is…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Poor Showings Aren’t PermanentRegulation
Rescuing Pennsylvania from Fiscal Shipwreck
The state’s shaky fiscal position is no secret. Lawmakers continue to negotiate behind closed doors to eliminate the current deficit and pay for new spending in the $32…
Media
Read More: Rescuing Pennsylvania from Fiscal ShipwreckRegulation
Wolf Targets Job Creators for Tax Hikes
At the top of Governor Wolf’s revenue wish list sits an even higher severance tax on natural gas. Yet, this tax would fail to balance the budget and cause further economic stagnation by suppressing existing revenue streams…
Media
Read More: Wolf Targets Job Creators for Tax HikesRegulation
Economy Stalls While Government Grows
This week, lawmakers and the Wolf Administration were unable to agree on a revenue package to pay for a $32 billion budget proposal. Once again, state government is…
Media
Read More: Economy Stalls While Government GrowsRegulation
A Double Whammy for PA Job Creators
The governor continues to insist on hiking natural gas taxes to balance the budget, while bureaucrats are heaping regulatory burdens on Pennsylvania’s most dynamic industry of the past decade.
Media
Read More: A Double Whammy for PA Job CreatorsHealth Care
Four Game Changing Welfare Reforms
The 2017-18 spending plan is now law, but officials still must find a way to pay for it. The latest version of the human services code bill includes a host…
Media
Read More: Four Game Changing Welfare ReformsRegulation
The Unrelenting Demand for Tax Increases Illustrates Lessons Unlearned
For Gov. Wolf, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite the harm caused by last year’s tax increases, Gov. Wolf appears to be holding out—yet…
Media
Read More: The Unrelenting Demand for Tax Increases Illustrates Lessons UnlearnedHealth Care
Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State Budget
State lawmakers are scrambling to create a revenue plan that can balance the $32 billion dollar spending plan passed by the legislature last week. While talks of tax hikes, borrowing…
Media
Read More: Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State BudgetRegulation
News Release: End Horse Racing’s $2.7 Billion Taxpayer-Funded Windfall
State government spends $800 million on taxpayer-funding giveaways to politically connected businesses each year. As lawmakers and Gov. Wolf debate ways to pay for the $32 billion spending plan passed…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: End Horse Racing’s $2.7 Billion Taxpayer-Funded WindfallRegulation
Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 Budget
With a spending plan in place, lawmakers should focus their efforts on reinventing state government to balance the budget, including ending horse racing subsidies.
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 BudgetState Budget
Lawmakers’ Choices: Higher Taxes or Real Reform
Half the state budget is done: the spending list. The Pennsylvania House and Senate passed a general appropriations bill on Friday. But the other half—how to pay for it—remains. The…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers’ Choices: Higher Taxes or Real ReformCriminal Justice Reform
How to Revamp Pa.’s Criminal Justice System
Pennsylvania can reduce its prison population by more than 1,000 people while saving approximately $108 million over five years, according to a Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) Working Group Report.
Media
Read More: How to Revamp Pa.’s Criminal Justice SystemPublic Union Democracy
Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?
Government unions are rallying in Harrisburg, demanding more money from Pennsylvanians to justify an even larger state budget. It’s worth asking, how did we get here again? And what…
Media
Read More: Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?Regulation
What to Know about the Senate Budget
Late last night, the Senate unveiled its version of the spending side of a state budget. The Senate advanced the bill from the Appropriations Committee with a full floor vote…
Media
Read More: What to Know about the Senate BudgetRegulation
Op-Ed: Learn from Last Year’s Budget Mistakes
Before you dismiss the budget debate as political theater, consider this: The deals hashed out in Harrisburg could blow a hole in your own budget or even strip you of…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Learn from Last Year’s Budget MistakesState Budget
Lawmakers’ Choice: Bogus Budget Borrowing or Serious Solutions
The start of the new fiscal year is less than two days away, but lawmakers have yet to nail down the specifics for the 2017-18 budget. Higher taxes and new borrowing…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers’ Choice: Bogus Budget Borrowing or Serious SolutionsState Budget
PA Budget: What the Constitution Mandates
As lawmakers debate the details of a new state budget, it’s crucial to remember what our state constitution requires them to do. The Pennsylvania Constitution does not require a…
Media
Read More: PA Budget: What the Constitution MandatesState Budget
Focusing on What Matters in the Tax Credit Debate
Pennsylvania provides tax credits for film production, concerts and video games. House Bill 1519 would combine these credits into one Multimedia Tax Credit Fund. But consolidating tax credits doesn't address…
Media
Read More: Focusing on What Matters in the Tax Credit DebateHealth Care
Welfare Reform Efforts Gain Traction
Tax hikes or spending reforms? That's the question before lawmakers as the annual scramble to the June 30th budget deadline proceeds. So it's no surprise lawmakers are turning their attention…
Media
Read More: Welfare Reform Efforts Gain Traction