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Education
Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Harrisburg, Pa., May 15, 2025 — Pennsylvania school districts increased overall revenue collected in 2023–24 to $23,000 per student, while expanding general fund reserves to $7.4 billion, according to new…
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Energy
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Read More: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Read More: Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Read More: New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Turnpike Lease Promising
Press Enterprise editorial on Senator Gordner’s Turnpike lease proposal: When looked at from an economic standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Start with this…
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Study on “Toll Road Privatization”
A study by researchers from Penn State and Wayne State makes the claim that toll road privatization will cause several negative impacts. However, they don’t actually study “toll road…
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Read More: Study on “Toll Road Privatization”Government Accountability
Integrity in Government Special Session
The Commonwealth Foundation and nine other organizations have asked Governor Rendell to call a special session to deal with integrity in Goverment. Here is the info, courtesy Democracy Rising…
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Positions available through Koch Associate Program
The Commonwealth Foundation is excited to be a part of the 2008-09 Koch Associate Program! We’re working with the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation to find candidates for a position…
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Gordner testing the water with tolling repeal bill
State Senator John Gordner will be introducing a bill to repeal Act 44 (and I-80 tolling) that would also allow for a Turnpike PPP, The Standard-Journal reports. We have…
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Read More: Gordner testing the water with tolling repeal billGovernment Accountability
Fluid races could make Pa.’s late primary important
Peter Jackson commentary on the potential “influence” of the PA primary in April. While there has been a push to move the primary up in the calendar so that…
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Read More: Fluid races could make Pa.’s late primary importantTaxes & Economy
Why Calendars Matter
The latest story of Capitol Calendars bought at taxpayer expenses is a Tribune-Review article on Catherine Baker Knoll (as president of the Senate) getting her share. Other recent stories…
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Cutting state income tax will result in job growth
Adapted version of Matt Brouillette’s testimony appears in today’s Allentown Morning Call…
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Read More: Cutting state income tax will result in job growthTaxes & Economy
More on cutting PA Taxes
Press Enterprise editorial on the proposal to cut the income tax in Pennsylvania: You won’t hear anything even remotely like it when Big Ed makes his annual…
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Tax Cuts and the PA Economy
Altoona Mirror has a story on proposals to cut the Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax. I had a couple other comments that didn’t make it into the print edition, and…
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Can the Jaguars save the NFL?
Then NFL has been going downhill ever since Vince McMahon took over as commissioner and cast the New England Patriots as heel, much like the Iron Sheik.
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The Taj Mahal Act
In 1973 a crack commando unit was sent to a military prison for a crime they didn’t commit, and Pennslyvania lawmakers passed a “Taj Mahal Act” (Act 34 of…
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Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth
Allegheny Institute Policy Brief questions a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center promise to give $100 million over 10 years to the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Namely, why does the…
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House GOP pushes for lower state income tax
Tony Phyrillas on today’s hearing regarding rolling back the state PIT to it’s pre-2004 level of 2.80%. Read Matt’s testimony here, or sign up for email updates…
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How you match up with Presidential candidates
Lancaster Online has posted on new tool to track how you match up, on issues, with presidential candidates. It seems to work out pretty accurately for me (a couple…
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School choices promote accountability
Good Editorial on how if you want “accountability” in education, then you should support school choice. Of course the critics of school choice in its various forms always cite…
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19th Century View of Government?
Patriot News has a blurb about our re-selling calendars for property tax relief (third item). Rendell spokeman Chuck Ardo defends the calendars (more or less) by taking a…
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Free Market Health Care FAQ
A new publication from the Galen Institute: Frequently asked questions on health policy and responses from our pro-market perspective…
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Employee Free Choice Act Would Disenfranchise 105 Million Workers
Web Memo on proposed card-check legislation from the Heritage Foundation…
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Who else has Rendell promised money to?
Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire.com (subscription) has broken a story about Lionsgate Films lobbying the state. The story began by looking into violations of the state lobbying law when Lionsgate…
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Health Care Advice to Candidates
John Goodman offers a bit of advice on health care policy to presidential candidates.
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Read More: Health Care Advice to Candidates