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Education
Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Harrisburg, Pa., May 15, 2025 — Pennsylvania school districts increased overall revenue collected in 2023–24 to $23,000 per student, while expanding general fund reserves to $7.4 billion, according to new…
Read More: Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Energy
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Read More: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Read More: Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Read More: New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable BenefitsTaxes & Economy
EPA Wants to Scare Jobs Out of Pennsylvania
The Environmental Protection Agency’s derailing of American’s economy is frightening enough to scare even the Ghostbusters (and they ain’t afraid of no ghost). Pennsylvania will be the 7th hardest hit…
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Read More: EPA Wants to Scare Jobs Out of Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Corbett signs Pennsylvania prison reform into law
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Read More: Gov. Tom Corbett signs Pennsylvania prison reform into law
Education tax credits a good idea, but at what cost?
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Read More: Education tax credits a good idea, but at what cost?
An antiquated trade barrier could hurt Pennsylvania manufacturers
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Read More: An antiquated trade barrier could hurt Pennsylvania manufacturersTaxes & Economy
This Independence Day, You and I Have No Right
This morning, spurred by a blog post by Bill Kristol, I’ve been reading an Independence Day oration given by the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass in 1852, during the run-up to…
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Read More: This Independence Day, You and I Have No RightHealth Care
State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health Care
The Supreme Court health care ruling last week gave Pennsylvania two opportunities to undermine the Affordable Care Act. States can decline to set up a state exchange and choose not…
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Read More: State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health CareTaxes & Economy
How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling in 2012?
Back in 2010, Pennsylvania was as attractive to drill in as Cambodia. The state ranked 66th out of 133 jurisdictions worldwide, according to the Fraser Institute’s Global Petroleum…
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Read More: How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling in 2012?State Budget
What’s In It for You – Budget Review
With only minutes to spare Saturday night, Gov. Corbett signed his second on-time budget without increasing taxes and limiting spending growth to less than inflation and population growth. Here’s what…
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Read More: What’s In It for You – Budget ReviewState Budget
Of Milestones and Things Left Undone | WEEKLY UPDATE
Do you get CF’s WEEKLY UPDATE every Monday? If not, here’s what you’re missing. Sign up here so you don’t miss next week’s message! …
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Tax-credit bill would expand school choice
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Read More: Tax-credit bill would expand school choiceTaxes & Economy
Chart: A Decade of State Spending Growth
State policymakers agreed on a budget deal that includes $27.7 billion in General Fund spending. This budget deal represents a $6.8 billion, or 36.1 percent, increase in General Fund spending…
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Read More: Chart: A Decade of State Spending GrowthEducation
Child Rescue Plan Underway, EITC is Lifeline
As we come down to the wire in the Pennsylvania legislature’s 2012 session, the Senate revealed the latest details (subscription required) of how an expanded opportunity scholarship program would…
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Read More: Child Rescue Plan Underway, EITC is LifelineEducation
Temple Tuition Tamp-Down Shows Wake-Up Calls Work
During last year’s budget season, I was pretty critical of Temple University for raising tuition by ten percent while its administrators joined in the Chicken Little routine (“The sky…
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Read More: Temple Tuition Tamp-Down Shows Wake-Up Calls WorkCriminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania Passes Landmark Corrections Reform
On Monday, Pennsylvania passed landmark legislation to replace decades of ineffective and expensive corrections policies with reforms that make our communities safer and save taxpayers money. Commonwealth Foundation thanks…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Passes Landmark Corrections ReformHealth Care
Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and Nonsensical
My response to today’s Supreme Court of the United States ruling on President Obama’s healthcare reform law: Just because something is ruled Constitutional doesn’t make it affordable, sustainable or…
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Read More: Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and Nonsensical
Are public school rainy-day funds too big?
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Read More: Are public school rainy-day funds too big?Education
Save Kids, Save Schools, Save Our Future
Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program is already transforming lives and schools throughout our state. In some of the worst neighborhoods and schools—the schools where kids are 5-times…
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Read More: Save Kids, Save Schools, Save Our Future
Wilkinsburg is Pa.’s most violent school district
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Read More: Wilkinsburg is Pa.’s most violent school district
Half of correction legislation ready for governor, other half in jeopardy
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Read More: Half of correction legislation ready for governor, other half in jeopardy