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Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Harrisburg, Pa., May 6, 2025—Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee approved legislation to establish Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Scholarships. Similar to the popular Lifeline Scholarship proposal, PASS would…
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 Benefits
Education
Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Read More: Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Prosperity
Stephen Bloom joins RJ Harris in the Morning to Talk Tax Reform
Read More: Stephen Bloom joins RJ Harris in the Morning to Talk Tax ReformTaxes & Economy
The Battle Over General Assistance and Our Poverty Problem
In 2012, lawmakers ended a small cash welfare program called General Assistance. Despite all the recent Democratic hubbub, none of the members actually tried to restart the program through the…
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Read More: The Battle Over General Assistance and Our Poverty ProblemEducation
Can School Choice Solve “Lunch Shaming”?
On July 9th, Wyoming Valley West School District in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania took reckless steps in “lunch shaming” hundreds of students and ordering repayment of their student meal debts. …
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Read More: Can School Choice Solve “Lunch Shaming”?Regulation
No More Food Stamps for Millionaires
Leroy Fick won $2 million playing the Michigan lottery. He bought a new home and a costly car, all while collecting taxpayer-funded food stamps. Fick and stories like his…
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Read More: No More Food Stamps for MillionairesPublic Union Democracy
Are Unions Preparing to Charge Fair Share Fees Once Again?
It’s been one year since Janus v. AFSCME overturned 40 years of government labor precedent. Now, public employees who decide not to join their workplace union are no longer forced…
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Read More: Are Unions Preparing to Charge Fair Share Fees Once Again?Education
Students Lose in the “City of Champions”
Pittsburgh Pirates fans recently gathered at PNC Park to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1979 World Series Championship. When it comes to sports, people in the “City of Champions”…
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Read More: Students Lose in the “City of Champions”Education
Tax Hoarders Strike Again
Last month Governor Wolf vetoed House Bill 800, which could have opened new educational opportunities to 50,000 low- to middle-income students. The legislation sailed through both chambers and would have…
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Read More: Tax Hoarders Strike AgainPublic Union Democracy
Pa. Union Membership Declines Post-Janus
In the year following Janus v. AFSCME, which stopped unions from charging nonmembers “fair share fees,” a central question emerged: how would this ruling impact total union membership? Official reports…
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Read More: Pa. Union Membership Declines Post-JanusState Budget
Pennsylvania is NOT Taking Care of Business
Pennsylvania is the 5th worst state to start a business, according to a new study by Wallethub. Only Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island fare worse. Then,…
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Read More: Pennsylvania is NOT Taking Care of BusinessEducation
Last Rites for Blaine Amendments?
The election of President John F. Kennedy was a milestone that went a long way in sealing the tomb on anti-Catholic sentiments. With the election of an Irishman from Massachusetts,…
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Read More: Last Rites for Blaine Amendments?Taxes & Economy
Tax Data Agrees, Everyone Wins from Tax Reform
Who benefits from tax reform? That question has been a hot topic since the 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), and the answer is everyone. However,…
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Read More: Tax Data Agrees, Everyone Wins from Tax ReformRegulation
Government-Run Booze Losing Across the Nation: Will Pa. be Next?
The Supreme Court delivered several high-profile rulings this summer on issues including partisan gerrymandering and the census citizenship question. A lesser-known case, Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas, will also…
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Read More: Government-Run Booze Losing Across the Nation: Will Pa. be Next?Education
How to Help Harrisburg Students, Right Now
There’s plenty of fights and rule-breaking going on in Harrisburg School District. But I’m not talking about the kids: it’s the adults who perpetrate this conflict and corruption. Meanwhile, the…
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Read More: How to Help Harrisburg Students, Right NowRegulation
Only Six Months in and Pension Reform Is Already Making a Difference
Planting a fruit tree. Saving up for a cruise. Raising kids. Good results take time and patience. That’s definitely been true for pension reform. Passed back in 2017, the impacts…
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Read More: Only Six Months in and Pension Reform Is Already Making a DifferenceState Budget
Applause for ‘Mature’ Debt Reform, but More Needed
Good policy isn’t always controversial. House Bill 24, which was signed into law on July 2, caused no floor theatrics, mass tweeting, or activist howls. The bill, proposed by Rep. John Lawrence…
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Read More: Applause for ‘Mature’ Debt Reform, but More NeededCriminal Justice Reform
School Choice on Behalf of Pa.’s Poorest Should Be a Bipartisan Issue
In Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and throughout the country, Republicans and Democrats have come together to pass smart criminal justice reforms that help people achieve independence and prosperity…
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Read More: School Choice on Behalf of Pa.’s Poorest Should Be a Bipartisan IssueGovernment Accountability
Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and Unconstitutional
A wise buyer should always read the fine print, but it isn’t easy. Documents like cell phone contracts and software user agreements can be hard to read, often by design. The dense language…
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Read More: Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and UnconstitutionalGovernment Accountability
A Look Inside New Government Union Contracts
Government union leaders recently reached multi-year contract agreement with the Wolf Administration, including 18% compensation increases over four years. Even though taxpayers foot the bill, they are still waiting to know…
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Read More: A Look Inside New Government Union Contracts
A New Licensing Reform Makes Moving to Pa. a Little Easier
The Fourth of July is always a busy time at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. There’s nothing more American than visiting America’s birthplace on her birthday. With a plethora of historical locations…
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Read More: A New Licensing Reform Makes Moving to Pa. a Little EasierTaxes & Economy
Heavy Tax Burdens Weigh Down Job Growth
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is expected to create 1.2 million jobs across the country in its first decade. I recently wrote about the ongoing benefits Pennsylvania is reaping thanks…
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Read More: Heavy Tax Burdens Weigh Down Job GrowthEducation
Getting Real About Education Spending
Another budget season has come and gone in Harrisburg. As usual, education spending was one of the hottest topics. Constant demands for “more money” by teachers’ unions and their…
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Read More: Getting Real About Education SpendingTaxes & Economy
Those are Drilling Rigs, Not Money Trees
“Money doesn’t grow on trees,” my mother regularly declaimed in her impromptu lessons on financial literacy. Too bad she’s not with us to explain this to Governor Wolf: neither the Marcellus…
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Read More: Those are Drilling Rigs, Not Money Trees