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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…
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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 OpportunityGovernment Accountability
Audit: PA Not Ready for Stimulus Oversight
Auditor General Jack Wagner believes Pennsylvania is ill-suited to provide transparency and oversight on the stimulus money coming to the state in a letter he sent to the federal Government…
Media
Read More: Audit: PA Not Ready for Stimulus OversightTaxes & Economy
Energy Facts and Myths
The Manhattan Institute has release an new edition of their publication, Energy and the Environment: Facts and Myths. A great tool for both interested citizens and for policy makers,…
Media
Read More: Energy Facts and MythsTaxes & Economy
Polling on Tea Parties
Rasmussen has an interesting poll on people’s attitudes toward recent tea parties (top line results), finding that 51% of respondents have favorable views of Tea Parties (vs 33%…
Media
Read More: Polling on Tea PartiesState Budget
Murtha Gets Earmark for Murtha Airport
This has been making the rounds, but the Washington Post has a detailed article about how Congressman Jack Murtha has gotten hundreds of millions of dollars over the years,…
Media
Read More: Murtha Gets Earmark for Murtha AirportTaxes & Economy
Latest Pennsylvania Job Numbers (March 2009)
According to the State Department of Labor and Industry, Pennsylvania lost 30,500 jobs in March alone. The data indicate that since the recession began – officially in…
Media
Read More: Latest Pennsylvania Job Numbers (March 2009)Regulation
Privatizing PA’s Liquor Stores
State Sen. Rob Wonderling is starting again to push for the privatization of Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor stores. Here is Sen. Wonderling’s commentary on privatizing the state stores from…
Media
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Ted Nugent Headlines San Antonio Tea Party
Ted Nugent accompanied Glenn Beck at the San Antonio Tax Day Tea Party held in front of the Alamo on April 15th. Nugent provided the soundtrack…
Media
Read More: Ted Nugent Headlines San Antonio Tea PartyGovernment Accountability
Government Spending Databases are Cheap
The Mercatus Center has a new analysis on the cost of state spending databases showing that it typically costs far less to produce online websites tracking government spending than…
Media
Read More: Government Spending Databases are CheapTaxes & Economy
Wage Tax Increase in Philadelphia
Three of the four legislative caucuses in Harrisburg have taken opposition to Philadelphia’s council move for a wage tax increase. Although Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia opposes a wage tax increase,…
Media
Read More: Wage Tax Increase in PhiladelphiaGovernment Accountability
Schroder Bills to Save PA Taxpayers Over $600 Million
State Rep. Curt Schroder has unveiled a number of legislative proposals which, by his estimates would save Pennsylvania taxpayers well over $600 million annually. House Bill 1056…
Media
Read More: Schroder Bills to Save PA Taxpayers Over $600 MillionTaxes & Economy
Even more on taxes, spending, and the stimulus
Americans for Tax Reform has a new fact page on “Tax Bites” – showing how much taxes take up for the cost of goods and services we buy, from…
Media
Read More: Even more on taxes, spending, and the stimulusHealth Care
Facts About the Uninsured
Keith Hennessey has a great post breaking down the number of people lacking health insurance, finding that only a small number of the reported 46 million uninsured are those…
Media
Read More: Facts About the UninsuredTaxes & Economy
More on Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
The Tax Foundation has released a recent poll on voters’ attitudes toward taxes. Not surprisingly, 56% say that taxes are “too high” (vs. 2% saying they are too low). …
Media
Read More: More on Taxes, Taxes, TaxesTaxes & Economy
Harrisburg Tea Party Attracts Estimated 2000
An estimated 2,000 protesters showed up for the tea party in Harrisburg. Not only was the crowd impressive, but the number of food items collected for Bethesda…
Media
Read More: Harrisburg Tea Party Attracts Estimated 2000Taxes & Economy
Thousands Attend Harrisburg Tax Day Tea Party to Protest Wasteful Spending in Harrisburg and Washington
One of hundreds of events held across the state and nation Harrisburg, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today hosted the Harrisburg Tax Day Tea Party on the State Capitol steps. …
Press Release
Read More: Thousands Attend Harrisburg Tax Day Tea Party to Protest Wasteful Spending in Harrisburg and WashingtonTaxes & Economy
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
Here are some good resources on taxes: 1) Freedomworks has a new site, Scrap the Code, highlighting the flaws in the complex tax code, and calling for a simpler…
Media
Read More: Taxes, Taxes, TaxesPublic Union Democracy
PA Businesses Feeling the Affects of Recession
According to the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. and it’s Keystone Business Climate Survey, 76% of respondents said business conditions in PA have deteriorated over the past…
Media
Read More: PA Businesses Feeling the Affects of RecessionState Budget
Oink, Oink
Today, Citizens Against Government Waste released its 2009 Congressional Pig Book. The report identifies over 10,000 pork-barrel projects in the federal budget, costing hard-working American’s over $19 billion. Examples…
Media
Read More: Oink, OinkTaxes & Economy
Twenty-seven Pennsylvania Cities to Host Tea Parties
By my count, 27 cities will be hosting “tea parties” tomorrow, April 15, in protest of high taxes and wasteful government spending (an additional five events will be taking…
Media
Read More: Twenty-seven Pennsylvania Cities to Host Tea PartiesTaxes & Economy
State Spending Binges
The latest Reason Magazine has a fine article on why state governments needed a bailout and why they will again – overspending. In 2002 the National…
Media
Read More: State Spending BingesRegulation
Jobs and the Economy
Testimony of Mathew J. Brouillette, President & CEO, Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania House Majority Policy CommitteeApril 14, 2009 Thank you Chairman Sturla for the…
Testimony
Read More: Jobs and the Economy