Media

State Budget

2017-18 State Budget & Spending Trends

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 26, 2018

Over the next month, CF will recount what happened on major issues in the 2017-18 legislative session and what policies lawmakers need to prioritize in the 2019-20 session to make…

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Education

Teacher shortage? Try competition.

• Colleen Hroncich
• November 25, 2018

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to … tinker with markets. That isn’t the original ending to that sentence, but it is certainly accurate. There…

Media

A Policy Feast to be Thankful For

• Nathan Benefield
• November 21, 2018

If public policy was for Thanksgiving dinner, what should be on the menu? It’s an unusual question, but while I’m looking forward to a nice Thanksgiving meal, I’m also looking…

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We’re Thankful For…

• November 21, 2018

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for. We are grateful to call Pennsylvania home, grateful for our growing team, and incredibly grateful for our investors and supporters.

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Government Accountability

It’s Apparent PA’s Not Transparent

• Jessica Barnett
• November 20, 2018

Parties and perks on taxpayers' dime was the headline-grabbing news from Pennsylvania's Auditor General investigation of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC). His findings underscore the need for government transparency. The SRBC,…

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Education

Pittsburgh School Choice Fair

• Colleen Hroncich
• November 20, 2018

When I walked into the Pittsburgh School Choice Fair on Saturday, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly did not anticipate being blown away by the diversity of…

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State Budget

IFO Projects $1.7 Billion State Budget Deficit in 2019

• Nathan Benefield
• November 19, 2018

Last year’s state budget boasted a series of firsts. It was the first budget in four years enacted before the June 30 deadline and represents the only budget Gov.

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

One Policy Where Trump and Wolf Agree

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 16, 2018

President Trump and Gov. Tom Wolf agree: minimum sentencing laws are counterproductive. Last Wednesday, President Trump announced his support of the FIRST STEP Act. The bill gives federal judges more…

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Regulation

Billions in Bribes Couldn’t Overcome Business Climate

• Colleen Hroncich
• November 15, 2018

As the old saying goes, “you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.” Such is the case with the business climate in Pennsylvania. And it appears…

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Education

Education Is a Necessity and We Should Fund It Like It?s One

• Colleen Hroncich
• November 14, 2018

Note: This commentary was originally published by Education Post. Letting parents choose the school or schooling that best fits their child shouldn't be so controversial. We don’t question the…

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Regulation

On Amazon and Unilaterally Disarming Corporate Welfare

• Nathan Benefield
• November 13, 2018

Amazon just announced that instead of one “HQ 2”, they will chose two new facilities—neither of which will be in Pennsylvania, instead choosing New York and Virginia. This shouldn’t…

Media

Education

Tax Credit Scholarships: Raise the Limits!

• Marc LeBlond
• November 12, 2018

As shown in a recent CF report, Pennsylvania is a state at risk. Violence in schools, while decreasing, still occurs at a significant level. Pennsylvania’s achievement gaps are…

Media

Public Union Democracy

A Voice for Workers or Political Puppet Master?

• Jessica Barnett
• November 5, 2018

Once again, government unions are among the biggest political spenders in Pennsylvania. While we must wait weeks for a final tally of election spending, unions have already spent another $5…

Media

Regulation

Four Fast Facts About PLCB Finances

• November 5, 2018

It’s a timeless tradition. Each year, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) releases its financial report, touting the success of the government’s booze business. Shortly after, CF explains why the…

Media

Health Care

What Do Lower Exchange Premiums Mean?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 2, 2018

For the first time in the history of the Affordable Care Act, exchange premiums are decreasing in Pennsylvania. Insurance Commissioner Altman announced an aggregate average decrease of 2.3 percent…

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Education

Grandma, What Do You Mean Schools Were Assigned by Zip Code?

• Colleen Hroncich
• November 1, 2018

My kids can’t imagine a world where nearly any question can’t be answered in mere seconds. Despite growing up without the internet, I can barely imagine it myself. In a…

Media

Government Accountability

Pennsylvania’s #1 Special Interest Problem

• Jessica Barnett
• October 31, 2018

A solution that makes the problem worse is no solution at all. Yet, recent calls for campaign finance reform and a natural gas severance tax would do just that—selectively…

Media

Pennsylvania’s Report Card: 2018 PSSA and Keystone Exams

• Marc LeBlond
• October 25, 2018

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released the 2018 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Keystone Exam results. Both sets of exams are used to ensure Pennsylvania’s education system is meeting …

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Education

Will School Choice Reach the Supreme Court Next Year?

• October 24, 2018

Annie Jackson, a waitress at Roxy’s Café in downtown Harrisburg, knows firsthand why families need school choice. Annie waitressed eight months into her pregnancy to pay private school tuition for…

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Public Union Democracy

New Lawsuit Challenges Union Resignation Restrictions

• Jessica Barnett
• October 24, 2018

Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court freed all public sector workers from paying agency fees to a union they didn’t join. Since then, many workers who are dissatisfied with…

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

Three Bills to Help Vulnerable Pennsylvanians Await Signature

• Elizabeth Stelle
• October 22, 2018

Last week we celebrated passage of a transformative welfare reform bill, which Governor Wolf vetoed late Friday afternoon. But it wasn't the only good policy that cleared both chambers…

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