Media

State Halts Unemployment Payments Due to Mass Fraud

• September 28, 2020

Pennsylvania delayed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments after a 300% increase in applications. Over 10,000 inmates were illegally submitting unemployment applications from behind bars.  Once again, the multimillion-dollar modernization project for…

Media

Pennsylvania’s Mail Ballot Fight Could Go to U.S. Supreme Court

• Michael Torres
• September 23, 2020

The Pa. Republican Party has applied for a stay of a controversial Pa. Supreme Court ruling regarding mail-in ballots, indicating that it intends to appeal the case…

Media

Federal Ruling: Wolf Admin Not Above the Constitution

• Michael Torres
• September 14, 2020

  W. Pa. Counties Successfully Counter Wolf’s Shutdown Order  Sept. 14, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa.

Press Release

Wolf Proposes Band Aid for Small Business? Broken Leg

• Michael Torres
• September 11, 2020

Sept. 10, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Governor Tom Wolf called on the legislature to provide more taxpayer funding to bail …

Press Release

Commonwealth Foundation Receives 2020 Biggest Win for Freedom Award

• September 3, 2020

Sept. 3, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Commonwealth Foundation is honored to have earned the 2020 Bob Williams Award: Biggest Win for Freedom, presented by the State Policy Network.

Press Release

Regulation

Lawmakers Try to Stop Restaurant Catastrophe

• Michael Torres
• August 31, 2020

Bars and restaurants in Pennsylvania are sounding the alarm, warning that mass closures are on the horizon due to unnecessarily strict government regulations. A new report from the …

Media

COVID-19 Community Recovery Report

• Michael Torres
• August 13, 2020

Aug 13, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Commonwealth Foundation has released a new report outlining policy solutions that will help to rebuild Pennsylvania’s communities.  Alongside the pandemic, Pennsylvania is facing crises caused…

Press Release

Health Care

Struggling Small Businesses Overwhelm Govt. Lifeline

• Michael Torres
• August 12, 2020

Nearly 50,000 Pennsylvania small businesses applied for COVID relief grants from state government over the last two weeks, catching bureaucrats off guard as local businesses continue to see steep revenue…

Media

PLCB Makes Pa. National Loser in Liquor Sales & Tax Revenue

• Michael Torres
• August 4, 2020

Aug 4, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — A new report from the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association (NABCA) shows June spirits sales were up compared to last year in every state the association tracks—except…

Media

Liquor Poll – Sandwich

• July 29, 2020

Thank you for your input! We'll continue to update you on Pennsylvania's push for liquor reform.

Media

Liquor Poll – Snack Mix

• July 29, 2020

Thank you for your input! We'll continue to update you on Pennsylvania's push for liquor reform.

Media

Liquor Poll – Stupid Question

• July 29, 2020

Thank you for your input! We'll continue to update you on Pennsylvania's push for liquor reform.

Media

Wolf Reluctantly Gives In On Transparency During Emergencies

• Michael Torres
• July 27, 2020

Yesterday, a transparency bill requiring state and local government to continue fulfilling Right-to-Know requests under the Pa. Open Records law during emergency declarations became law without the governor’s signature.

Media

Education

Public Charter Schools Discounted, Ignored During COVID-19

• Stefanie Mason
• July 24, 2020

We were told that school districts and Intermediate Units were the experts on cyber education. We were told they were so great that alternatives, like cyber charter schools, should be eliminated.

Media

How is Gov. Wolf Handling COVID – Toss-Up

• July 21, 2020

Thanks for voting! We'll send out the results when the poll ends next week. Further thoughts to share? Let us know! We want to hear how you're doing. Wolf Poll…

Media

How is Gov. Wolf Handling COVID – Good

• July 21, 2020

Thanks for voting! We'll send out the results when the poll ends next week. Further thoughts to share? Let us know! We want to hear how you're doing. Wolf Poll…

Media

How is Gov. Wolf Handling COVID – Terrible

• July 20, 2020

Thanks for voting! We'll send out the results when the poll ends next week. Further thoughts to share? Let us know! We want to hear how you're doing. Wolf Poll…

Media

Pa. Legislature Looks to Help Families with Education Expenses

• Michael Torres
• July 15, 2020

July 15, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Members of the Pa. House and Senate have sponsored legislation would create “Back on Track” Education Scholarship Accounts (ESA) to help families afford growing education…

Press Release

Government Accountability

Pa. Supreme Court Grants Governor Unchecked Emergency Powers

• Charles Mitchell, Michael Torres
• July 1, 2020

July 1, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Pa. Supreme Court ignored the commonwealth’s tradition of checks and balances between branches of government in a ruling on a lawsuit between…

Press Release

Government Accountability

CF Amicus Brief Calls out Wolf for Overstepping his Authority

• June 25, 2020

Commonwealth Foundation filed an amicus curiae brief in the case of Wolf v. Scarnati et. al.—arguing that the Governor must follow the legislature’s concurrent resolution to end the declaration of…

Testimony

Regulation

Occupational Licensing Reform Passes Unanimously, Goes to Wolf

• Jessica Barnett, Michael Torres
• June 25, 2020

June 25, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Pa. General Assembly unanimously passed SB 637 (Sens. DiSanto and Schwank), a bill that will remove professional licensing employment barriers for roughly 3 million…

Press Release