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Fairness
New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Government unions spent more than $33 million on political causes and only 5.2 percent of PAC contributions went to non-Democratic candidates. Harrisburg, Pa., April 16, 2025 — Government unions…
Read More: New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Prosperity
Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Read More: Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Education
Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Read More: Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of Policy
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of PolicyEducation
Future Ready Index: A Tool That Can’t Be Used
The Data Quality Campaign recently released “Show Me the Data,” a comparison of state report cards in which Pennsylvania’s new Future Ready PA Index fared well. Released…
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Read More: Future Ready Index: A Tool That Can’t Be UsedEducation
Florida Scholarship Program Boosts College Enrollment, Graduation
Getting into college isn’t easy. It takes grit, good grades, and for some? Bribes. Across the nation, celebrities are being indicted for participating in a bribery scheme to get their…
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Read More: Florida Scholarship Program Boosts College Enrollment, GraduationTaxes & Economy
Guest Post: How Philly’s Brutal Tax Policies Drive Away Jobs
Businesses and people vote with their feet. As a long-time Philadelphian, I have unfortunately witnessed my neighbors taking their livelihoods to the suburbs—or beyond. Politicians cast the blame here and…
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Read More: Guest Post: How Philly’s Brutal Tax Policies Drive Away JobsEducation
Gov. Wolf Blinded to Benefits of School Choice
Gov. Wolf’s 2019 budget promotes public and private options for pre-K and post-secondary education. He calls Pennsylvania’s post-secondary institutions “laboratories for innovation.” Most remarkably, the governor touts Pennsylvania Higher…
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Read More: Gov. Wolf Blinded to Benefits of School ChoicePublic Union Democracy
Guest Post: Shattering Myths About Government Unions
As a former public school teacher, I can tell you: plenty of false messages circulate about union membership. Is union membership required? Why do government employees belong to unions and…
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Read More: Guest Post: Shattering Myths About Government UnionsCriminal Justice Reform
Fighting Poverty can be a Bipartisan Effort
Here's a letter I submitted to the Philadelphia Daily News on how Pennsylvanians of any ideology can share good intent, and work toward a common goal. I was disappointed…
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Crucial Reform Needed from Harrisburg as Tax Day Approaches
April 11, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Tax Day may be April 15th, but Americans will be working one more day before they’ve earned enough to pay their national, state, and local tax…
Press Release
Read More: Crucial Reform Needed from Harrisburg as Tax Day ApproachesPublic Union Democracy
The Facts about Pa.’s Employee Rights Notification Act
The Employee Rights Notification Act (HB 785) is exactly what its name suggests: notifying employees of their existing rights. So what are these rights, and why must workers be…
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Read More: The Facts about Pa.’s Employee Rights Notification ActTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania, Let’s Make our Taxes an Investment
What do we get for our taxes in Pennsylvania? The question is rarely asked—because the answer is just too painful. But as Tax Day approaches, it's time for taxpayers to…
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Read More: Pennsylvania, Let’s Make our Taxes an InvestmentState Budget
It’s Time to Tackle Debt
An ostrich burying its head in the sand is a classic analogy for avoiding difficult decisions. Though this is a mischaracterization—their heads are buried to protect their eggs from predators—the metaphor…
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Read More: It’s Time to Tackle DebtPublic Union Democracy
PSEA Flouts SCOTUS Ruling, Bargains for Unconstitutional ‘Fair Share’ Fees in Teacher Contracts
In open disregard for the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) is bargaining to impose “fair share” fees on non-union member teachers in…
Press Release
Read More: PSEA Flouts SCOTUS Ruling, Bargains for Unconstitutional ‘Fair Share’ Fees in Teacher ContractsPublic Union Democracy
Lawsuits by Trapped Union Members Piling Up
Curtis Thompson loves his school, his district, and helping students succeed. He considers his job as an education aide for at-risk students in the Cumberland Valley School District “an opportunity to…
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Read More: Lawsuits by Trapped Union Members Piling UpEducation
New Workforce Skills Won’t Come from an Outdated Education System
In his budget address earlier this year, Gov. Wolf cited “workforce concerns” as the reason Amazon rejected Philadelphia for its new headquarters—despite Pennsylvania offering a $4.6 billion dollar…
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Read More: New Workforce Skills Won’t Come from an Outdated Education SystemEducation
Time to Start Treating Philly Charter Families Like First Class Citizens
Our children deserve the best, most individually-tailored education available. Sadly, most students in urban districts cannot access educational opportunities. It's a paradox: Pennsylvania schools are receiving more funds than ever—ranking…
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Read More: Time to Start Treating Philly Charter Families Like First Class Citizens
Anti-Worker Legislation Introduced in Pa. House
Rep. Maureen Madden (D-Monroe) and Rep. Thomas Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) have proposed anti-worker legislation that would strip government workers of privacy rights in workplace elections and give union leaders workers’ personal…
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Read More: Anti-Worker Legislation Introduced in Pa. HouseTaxes & Economy
New Evidence Shows Work is the Path to Prosperity
Poverty and unemployment are vicious cycles. The longer you remain unemployed, the harder it is to find work—and poverty becomes more entrenched. As the Urban Institute puts it, “long-term…
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Read More: New Evidence Shows Work is the Path to ProsperityEducation
Military ESAs an Important Part of any Education Plan for Servicemembers
Last month, Governor Wolf introduced a proposal to offer college benefits for families of Pa. National Guard members—like a GI Bill for Pennsylvania. He intends his plan to “show that we…
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Lower Barriers to Employment to Give Workers a Fighting Chance
People make mistakes; sometimes life-altering ones that harm the entire community. But when they seek to get their life back on track and pay their debt to society, we should…
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Read More: Lower Barriers to Employment to Give Workers a Fighting ChanceEducation
Economic Growth or Education OpportunityWhy not Both
In a recent Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed, Mark Gleason explains that growing the economy and expanding educational opportunity are complementary, not competing goals: When it comes to preparing our children…
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Read More: Economic Growth or Education OpportunityWhy not BothPublic Union Democracy
HB 785: Transparency or Deception
Yesterday, the House Labor Committee voted to advance HB 785, the Employee Rights Notification Act. Unfortunately, this innocuous proposal became a partisan issue, with the vote falling along party lines.
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Read More: HB 785: Transparency or DeceptionPublic Union Democracy
Employee Rights Notification Bill Passes House Committee
Today, the House Labor and Industry Committee passed the employee rights notification bill, HB 785. Sponsored by Rep. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover), this legislation ensures public employees can make informed…
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Read More: Employee Rights Notification Bill Passes House Committee