Regulation

How Big is the Pa. State Budget? 17 Million Yoga Rooms

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 22, 2019

Much has been made about a yoga and meditation room in the state Capitol—costing taxpayers about $5,000 to furnish. With an annual state budget that could pay for…

Media

Read More: How Big is the Pa. State Budget? 17 Million Yoga Rooms

Criminal Justice Reform

Today’s Opportunities in the Spirit of King

  • Lenny McAllister
  • January 21, 2019

It’s been a shame that we’ve collectively spent so much time this month talking about the wrong King (Rep. Steve King) and views that harken back to our worst…

Media

Read More: Today’s Opportunities in the Spirit of King

Education

Opportunity, Prosperity, and National School Choice Week

  • Marc LeBlond
  • January 18, 2019

Speaking at his inaugural address on Tuesday, Gov. Wolf emphasized the importance of making sure “our children's opportunities are not restricted by his or her ZIP code.” We couldn’t…

Media

Read More: Opportunity, Prosperity, and National School Choice Week

Raise the Limits!

  • January 18, 2019

Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs are so popular that they could double in size and still not meet demand. Pennsylvania has a program that provides tax credits to businesses that donate…

Media

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Health Care

Arkansas Latest to Demonstrate Power of Work Over Poverty

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 17, 2019

Once again, incomes are rising, tax revenue is up, and welfare enrollment is shrinking thanks to work requirements. A recent analysis from the Foundation for Government Accountability finds Arkansas’s…

Media

Read More: Arkansas Latest to Demonstrate Power of Work Over Poverty

Criminal Justice Reform

Punitive Occupational Licensing Laws Bar Pennsylvanians from Work

  • Jessica Barnett
  • January 11, 2019

Pennsylvania’s occupational licensing laws are keeping two Philadelphia women out of work. Courtney Haveman and Amanda Spillane have sued the commonwealth after the Pennsylvania Cosmetology Board denied their cosmetology licenses…

Media

Read More: Punitive Occupational Licensing Laws Bar Pennsylvanians from Work

Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. Prison Population Plummets by Most in History

  • January 10, 2019

Pennsylvania’s prison population dropped by 1,068 individuals in 2018, according to new Department of Corrections numbers—the sharpest decline ever recorded. The number of incarcerated Pennsylvanians declined in six of…

Press Release

Read More: Pa. Prison Population Plummets by Most in History

Criminal Justice Reform

Tough on Crime, Smart on Justice

  • Charles Mitchell
  • January 9, 2019

Commentators called it a “Christmas miracle.” In late December, Congressional Republicans and Democrats cooperated to pass the FIRST STEP Act, America’s most significant federal sentencing and prison reform…

Media

Read More: Tough on Crime, Smart on Justice

Public Union Democracy

Worker Sues for Right to Resign from SEIU

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 8, 2019

Francisco Molina has a simple expectation of public sector unions: “They are supposed to help us, represent us, not hurt us.” After he got his dream job helping children at…

Media

Read More: Worker Sues for Right to Resign from SEIU

Health Care

Federal Food Stamp Fix Good Fit for Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 3, 2019

Jobs and money form the foundation of many a New Year’s resolution. Now, due to proposed federal SNAP (food stamp) changes, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians could experience a brighter…

Media

Read More: Federal Food Stamp Fix Good Fit for Pa.

Criminal Justice Reform

The Next Step for Criminal Justice Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 1, 2019

In an op-ed last week, CF’s president Charles Mitchell and former CF board chair Jane Janeczek offered an appraisal of the First Step Act signed by President Trump on…

Media

Read More: The Next Step for Criminal Justice Reform

Education

Finding a Seat: Philly Kids Need More School Choice

  • Colleen Hroncich
  • December 28, 2018

Starting with magnet schools in the 1970s, the Philadelphia School District has had some form of public school choice for decades. The opening of the first charter schools in 1997…

Media

Read More: Finding a Seat: Philly Kids Need More School Choice

Education

School Choice Increases School Safety

  • December 27, 2018

As children enjoy their holiday break, a safe second semester is at the top of many parents’ wish list. Parents want their kids to get the most out of their…

Media

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Education

Gesu School: Education Choice in Action – Part III

  • Marc LeBlond
  • December 25, 2018

Christmas is a time of giving. For many businesses and individuals across the state, Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship opportunities allow them to give so students like Alphonso and Makayla can have…

Media

Read More: Gesu School: Education Choice in Action – Part III

Taxes & Economy

Residents are Still Leaving the Keystone State

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 21, 2018

Residents are fleeing Pennsylvania for other states, continuing a long and harmful trend. Pennsylvania’s population grew by a scant 0.13 percent last year, according to new Census Bureau estimates—but…

Media

Read More: Residents are Still Leaving the Keystone State

Taxes & Economy

Santa and the Grinch visit Pennsylvania?s Energy Sector

  • Gordon Tomb
  • December 21, 2018

The last two years brought renewed investment in Pennsylvania’s energy industry, but these shiny gifts remain threatened by grinchy taxes, fees, and regulations. Among the gifts are the…

Media

Read More: Santa and the Grinch visit Pennsylvania?s Energy Sector

Taxes & Economy

Trump Administration’s Food Stamp Changes Could Affect 59 Pa. Counties

  • December 20, 2018

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to strengthen existing work requirements for work-capable adults in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps). The rule change…

Press Release

Read More: Trump Administration’s Food Stamp Changes Could Affect 59 Pa. Counties