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Government Accountability
Pa. Supreme Court Protects Private Property in New Ruling
Harrisburg, Pa., July 22, 2026 — In a 7–0 unanimous decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in Punxsutawney Hunting Club v. Pennsylvania Game Commission, sided with Pennsylvania landowners and ruled against warrantless searches on open fields. Under previous case law, the open…
Read More: Pa. Supreme Court Protects Private Property in New Ruling
Education
Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis on 2026-27 Budget Deal
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis on 2026-27 Budget Deal
Education
Pa. Lawmakers Pass 2026-27 State Budget, Blocking Shapiro’s Tax Hikes and Preserving Emergency Savings
Read More: Pa. Lawmakers Pass 2026-27 State Budget, Blocking Shapiro’s Tax Hikes and Preserving Emergency Savings
Education
Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Republicans for Advancing Tax Relief and Expanding Educational Opportunity
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Republicans for Advancing Tax Relief and Expanding Educational OpportunityState Budget
Higher Taxes to Buy More Nintendo Wii’s?
A PA House GOP staffer dug up this little item of pork barrel spending, courtesy State Representative Jesse White: The Wii challenge came about after I helped…
Media
Read More: Higher Taxes to Buy More Nintendo Wii’s?
State’s steep pension liability will be felt by Pennsylvania’s next generation
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Read More: State’s steep pension liability will be felt by Pennsylvania’s next generationEducation
Will Lawmakers Put Hollywood Before School Children?
Governor Rendell and three legislative caucuses are kicking low-income children out of their classrooms to fund handout to Big Hollywood studios. This is beyond bad policy – it’s blatant…
Media
Read More: Will Lawmakers Put Hollywood Before School Children?Health Care
More Health Care Lessons from Massachusetts
My colleague Joe Sterns sent me an article, in which Mitt Romney again declares Massachusetts health care reform a success, claiming the increase in taxpayer spending was “only” $700…
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Read More: More Health Care Lessons from MassachusettsGovernment Accountability
The Continuing Saga of Corruption and Patronage in Pennsylvania
Another of former Senator Fumo’s aides was indicted yesterday, for taking contracts from the Pennsylvania Senate, but doing no work – except favors to Sen. Fumo. Of course, Palermo…
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Read More: The Continuing Saga of Corruption and Patronage in PennsylvaniaGovernment Accountability
How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?
Dale Davenport had an excellent editorial in the Patriot over the weekend, noting how annual budgeting and the move to a full-time, professional legislature altereed Pennsylvania’s state budget forever: …
Media
Read More: How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?State Budget
Understanding the Single Sales Factor
Philly.com Blogger Ben Waxman has a post about moving Pennsylvania to a single-sales factor on corporate income taxes, calling it a “big tax break for corporations”, based on…
Media
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Send in the sheep, put the lawmakers out to pasture
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Read More: Send in the sheep, put the lawmakers out to pastureState Budget
Stupid Quote of the Day
Sen. Jake Corman tells the Associated Press that a proposal to charge the sales tax to performing arts and museums is a “user fee”: A plan to extend…
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Read More: Stupid Quote of the DayState Budget
Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt
A new commentary in American Enterprise Institute’s journal, The American, highlights a seemingly “perfect storm” of historical events that have facilitated the out-of-control spending of…
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Read More: Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control DebtEducation
Government Takeover: The Student Loan Industry
Last week the US House voted to prohibit private lenders from issuing government backed loans. The bill amounts to a government takeover of the student loan industry complete with…
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ACORN: State still funding organization
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Read More: ACORN: State still funding organizationGovernment Accountability
Scare Tactics in the Budget
John Baer writes – albeit a bit late – on how politicians use scare tactics, i.e. the “Washington Monument Ploy” to…
Media
Read More: Scare Tactics in the BudgetHealth Care
Not-True Statements about Health Insurers
I’ve already picked on the left-wing Keystone Progress this week for absurd statements, but I got another missive from them on…
Media
Read More: Not-True Statements about Health InsurersHealth Care
When a Tax Isn’t a Tax
In a post this morning, I criticized PA Senate Republicans for their loose definition of “broad-based taxes” with an emphasis on “broad…
Media
Read More: When a Tax Isn’t a TaxTaxes & Economy
Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a non-profit committed to education in America’s founding principles, recently debuted their First Principles Web Journal, an online resource for those interested in learning…
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Region’s residents upset over proposed tax increases, new taxes
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Read More: Region’s residents upset over proposed tax increases, new taxesTaxes & Economy
When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?
In a vote last week, the Pennsylvania House voted to increase the marriage license fee from $3 to $28 – only the increase was to be used for “domestic…
Media
Read More: When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?State Budget
What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?
Last week Matt Brouillette called out Senate Republicans for moving toward a budget deal with higher taxes, backing off their line in the…
Media
Read More: What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?