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Fairness
New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Government unions spent more than $33 million on political causes and only 5.2 percent of PAC contributions went to non-Democratic candidates. Harrisburg, Pa., April 16, 2025 — Government unions…
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Prosperity
Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Read More: Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Education
Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Read More: Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of Policy
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of PolicyEducation
Tax Credit Scholarships: Pennsylvania is Falling Behind
Tax credit scholarships are one of the fastest growing school choice options. These programs allow businesses or individuals to receive a tax credit for donations to approved K-12 scholarship…
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Read More: Tax Credit Scholarships: Pennsylvania is Falling BehindEducation
Senate Committee Passes Major Education Reform Bill
Every student deserves an education that best fits his or her unique needs. But this vision of education equality is beyond the reach of thousands of Pennsylvania families. That’s why…
Press Release
Read More: Senate Committee Passes Major Education Reform BillState Budget
Tax Reform’s Benefits Should Be Embraced, Not Erased
Tax reform will save Pennsylvania's consumers an estimated $324 million. This according to the Public Utility Commission, which approved rate cuts for 17 utility companies last week. The lower utitlity bills will kick in July 1…
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Read More: Tax Reform’s Benefits Should Be Embraced, Not ErasedEducation
Pittsburgh School District Rescinds Performance-Based Pay
In 2009, the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) utilized a $40 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to implement a comprehensive new K-12 education program. The program, known…
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Read More: Pittsburgh School District Rescinds Performance-Based PayEducation
Time to Let Fair Funding Work
A recent Philadelphia Inquirer editorial on school funding gets it partly right, but partly wrong. They challenge the fact that Pennsylvania spends $3,800 more per student than the national…
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Read More: Time to Let Fair Funding WorkHealth Care
A $2,000 Blister and Other Medicaid Failures
Sunburns, warts, and blisters—Medicaid recipients receive Emergency Room (ER) treatment for these common ailments, costing state taxpayers millions of dollars according to a WTAE investigation by Paul Van Osdol. With nearly…
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Read More: A $2,000 Blister and Other Medicaid FailuresEducation
Election Results Shouldn’t Detract Attention From Real Reforms
Pennsylvania’s primary election results are sure to command a lot of attention this week, as analysts attempt to explain what the outcomes mean for November. One thing is certain: Many new…
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Read More: Election Results Shouldn’t Detract Attention From Real ReformsEducation
Upward Trend in School District Reserve Funds Continues
Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE) released their 2016-17 financial reports less than a week after opponents of education choice for children loudly proclaimed that the sky is falling,…
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Read More: Upward Trend in School District Reserve Funds ContinuesGovernment Accountability
Transparency is Fundamental to Good Govt
Government transparency is a driving issue for Rep. Seth Grove. Without it, citizens can’t determine if state government is spending tax dollars efficiently. And hiding government operations from the public…
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Every Child Deserves the Best Education Possible!
Every Pennsylvania child is unique and deserves the best education possible—no matter their income or ZIP code. School choice is giving opportunities to hundreds of thousands of kids, but too many…
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Read More: Every Child Deserves the Best Education Possible!Public Union Democracy
Reading Schools Stop Paying Ghost Teachers
Since 2011, Reading taxpayers have spent over $500,000 subsidizing the salaries of local teachers’ union officials. Finally, this unfair arrangement will end. In a practice known as “ghost teaching,”…
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Read More: Reading Schools Stop Paying Ghost TeachersHealth Care
A Future for My Kids and Me
Megan Spaulding graduated from the Brockway Center for Arts and Technology Medical Assistant program two years ago. This single mom turned medical professional describes her new found career as “life-changing.”…
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School Districts’ Cash Hoard Grows for 12th-Straight Year, Tops $4.5 Billion
Despite annual complaints of underfunding, Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts grew their massive reserve funds again this year, according the latest data available from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. School district reserves…
Press Release
Read More: School Districts’ Cash Hoard Grows for 12th-Straight Year, Tops $4.5 BillionState Budget
Why the Taxpayer Protection Act Matters to You
Pennsylvania could end the fiscal year with a budget deficit…again. If the latest Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) projections prove accurate, the commonwealth would need to fill a $195 million…
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Read More: Why the Taxpayer Protection Act Matters to YouTaxes & Economy
The Path to Prosperity
Last month we featured the story of Diane, a hardworking medical assistant in Clearfield County and graduate of the Brockway Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) medical assistant…
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Read More: The Path to ProsperityCriminal Justice Reform
Unanimous Senate Vote Advances Criminal Justice Reform
The state Senate embraced criminal justice reform this week by unanimously passing three pieces of legislation comprising the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) II reforms. The first slate of JRI…
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Read More: Unanimous Senate Vote Advances Criminal Justice ReformTaxes & Economy
State House Strengthens Food Stamps Work Requirements
Today, the state House passed HB 1659, which strengthens existing work requirements for able-bodied adults in Pennsylvania’s food stamp program. This follows a work requirement measure for Medicaid,…
Press Release
Read More: State House Strengthens Food Stamps Work RequirementsTaxes & Economy
Wolf’s Severance Tax Among the Highest in the Nation
The Governor's fourth natural gas tax proposal, and 11th tax proposal overall, is now embodied in legislation. SB 1000 and HB 2253 join nine other bills sitting in the House and Senate, all…
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Read More: Wolf’s Severance Tax Among the Highest in the NationGovernment Accountability
Government that Works?in the Shadows
Legislation introduced by Rep. Seth Grove—House Bill 1843—injects a much-needed dose of transparency into the state budget. The proposal would give taxpayers access to critical budget documents and financial…
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Read More: Government that Works?in the ShadowsTaxes & Economy
Migration Update
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/popest-metro-county.html The ten counties that experienced the greatest growth via domestic migration (“destination states”) had a lower average tax burden than the counties that experienced the greatest declines (“deserted states”). p 10…
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Read More: Migration UpdatePublic Union Democracy
PSU Graduate Students Reject Unionization
According to preliminary results, Penn State graduate assistants have voted to reject joining the Pennsylvania State Education Association. If the Coalition of Graduate Employees convinced a majority of voting graduate…
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