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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 Reform
Would taxing extraction be boon or doom?
Media Hit
Read More: Would taxing extraction be boon or doom?Education
Monitoring Charter Schools
Last month, PA Independent highlighted Senate Bill 1156, which would create a committee to monitor Pennsylvania charter schools. This was in response to the mismanagement of a number of…
Media
Read More: Monitoring Charter SchoolsGovernment Accountability
Grand Jury Demands Legislative Reform
The long-awaited grand jury report written in response to the Bonusgate trials has declared that the grossly inefficient Pennsylvania legislature needs an overhaul. The grand jury wrote, “The current…
Media
Read More: Grand Jury Demands Legislative ReformState Budget
PA House Democrats Try to Ram Through Tax Hikes
May 25, 2010–Last night, the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee — on a straight party line vote, with only Democrat support — amended into a bill (HB 325) related to volunteer…
Press Release
Read More: PA House Democrats Try to Ram Through Tax Hikes
PSEA chief ignores much of what will raise property taxes
Media Hit
Read More: PSEA chief ignores much of what will raise property taxesPublic Union Democracy
Union Boss Honored for Decline in Union Membership
Yesterday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a crucial piece of legislation – a resolution honoring our old “friend” Bill George, outgoing head of the PA AFL-CIO. What…
Media
Read More: Union Boss Honored for Decline in Union MembershipGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Budget Presentation
Below you can find my latest version of a presentation on the Pennsylvania state budget and economic policy. PA Budget and…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget PresentationState Budget
PA House Republicans’ Cost Savings Plan
In an attempt to balance the state budget without raising taxes, the House Republican Caucus has developed a plan to reduce spending in the Pennsylvania State Budget. One interesting…
Media
Read More: PA House Republicans’ Cost Savings PlanTaxes & Economy
Another Commercial Produced by PA Government
I caught another TV commercial produced by Pennsylvania state government the other night. This one is intended to scare viewers who are thinking of committing insurance fraud…and make the…
Media
Read More: Another Commercial Produced by PA Government
Most Pennsylvanians are Right Wing Extremists
If one listens to analysts in the mainstream media, anyone calling for a repeal of the federal health care law, or supporting a state immigration law like Arizona’s is on…
Media
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State’s growing public pension problems to be discussed at PEL lunch in Williamsport
Media Hit
Read More: State’s growing public pension problems to be discussed at PEL lunch in WilliamsportTaxes & Economy
Who is Adding Jobs in PA?
The latest BLS report on state jobs is out, and is pretty good news for Pennsylvania, which added 34,000 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in April – 2nd most among the…
Media
Read More: Who is Adding Jobs in PA?Regulation
The Failure of Economic Development Incentives
With budget season upon us, politicians are scrambling for new revenue sources or programs to cut. “The Failures of Economic Development Incentives,” a 2004 report by Alan Peters and…
Media
Read More: The Failure of Economic Development IncentivesTaxes & Economy
Corbett v. Rendell: Who is Right on PA’s Economy?
In his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett vowed to get Pennsylvania’s economy back on track after years of stagnation and misguide policy decisions. Gov. Rendell…
Media
Read More: Corbett v. Rendell: Who is Right on PA’s Economy?Public Union Democracy
Obama’s Run-Around of Congress
Q: What do Card Check and Net Neutrality have in common? A: They are bad policy ideas Congress won’t pass, yet the White House is finding ways to work…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Run-Around of CongressTaxes & Economy
Specter to Blame for Specter’s Demise
We try not to engage too much in political punditry here, but the latest Terry Madonna and Michael Young Politically Uncorrected piece, on the end of Sen. Arlen Specter’s…
Media
Read More: Specter to Blame for Specter’s DemiseTaxes & Economy
Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth Amendment
The Institute for Policy Innovation has produced a short informational guide to the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment was ratified in order to guarantee individual rights and responsibilities for…
Media
Read More: Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth AmendmentGovernment Accountability
Corbett Wins, Subpoenas Twitter for Names of His Critics
As part of the Grand Jury investigation, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has filed a subpoena against Twitter to reveal the names of two anonymous Twitter accounts (HT…
Media
Read More: Corbett Wins, Subpoenas Twitter for Names of His CriticsRegulation
PA Pension Crisis Video
Here is a great video highlighting the looming crisis in Pennsylvania’s state pension plans (specifically PSERS). Not sure who created this, but it’s worth a watch. For…
Media
Read More: PA Pension Crisis VideoGovernment Accountability
Conklin Would Serve as LG and State Rep
If the results hold, and they remain extremely close, Scott Conklin would be the Democrat nominee for Lieutenant Governor and for reelection to his PA House seat. Conklin recently promised…
Media
Read More: Conklin Would Serve as LG and State Rep