Media

Education

A Choice for All Students

• Charles Mitchell
• June 10, 2018

Barbara “Annie” Jackson waitresses at Roxy's Café just a short walk away from the Capitol building in Harrisburg. Eight months pregnant, Annie serves steaming plates of eggs and mugs of hot coffee…

Media

Education

The Truth about Education Spending in PA

• June 8, 2018

Data from Pennsylvania's Department of Education refute the persistent myth that Pennsylvania public schools are underfunded. See the charts below for 2016-17 statistics on school spending, an update on where Pa.

Media

Taxes & Economy

A Career for Life: Toni’s Work Story

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 6, 2018

DuBois resident Toni Prescott Flanders knows the value of hard work. As a teenager she worked alongside her mom, who owned a restaurant. But Toni wanted more than a job.

Media

Taxes & Economy

More Evidence Raising the Minimum Wage is Bad for Pa.

• June 4, 2018

In his 2018-19 budget proposal, Governor Wolf mandates a 65 percent increase to the state’s minimum wage, from $7.25 to $12 per hour. The governor reiterated his support for this…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Government Union Efforts to Restrict Workers’ Rights

• Jessica Barnett
• June 1, 2018

June will bring a U.S. Supreme Court decision potentially restoring First Amendment rights to millions of public sector workers. The response from government union leaders? Schemes to continue—and further restrict—public…

Media

Regulation

Save Nuclear Jobs with Less Government, Not Corporate Welfare

• Gordon Tomb
• June 1, 2018

Increased production of low-cost natural gas has reduced the price of electricity to levels below which many Pennsylvania nuclear plants can compete. With about 3,000 jobs at stake, Senator…

Media

Education

Education Choice Saves Tax Dollars

• Marc LeBlond
• May 31, 2018

Transparency in education funding and charter school reform are good ideas, yet this push for reform is being used to spread misinformation about educational opportunities. Namely, the idea that…

Media

Health Care

More than a Paycheck: Amanda’s Work Story

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 30, 2018

A mother of four, Amanda Zernell worked odd jobs – as a certified nurse assistant at minimum wage and later at Sears – to help support her family. But after…

Media

State Budget

Securing Pa.’s Fiscal Future

• May 29, 2018

Balancing a budget may come naturally to many Pennsylvania families, but in Harrisburg, it’s an idea that has been recently overlooked. And given the latest federal court decision prohibiting…

Media

Regulation

PLCB Turns to Corporate Welfare to “Strengthen” Local Producers

• May 25, 2018

Everyone loves grant money, but for Pennsylvania wine makers and brewers, recent handouts from the PLCB are especially ironic. On May 16, Governor Wolf announced that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control…

Media

Ignore Scare Tactics; ESAs Would Benefit All Students

• Nathan Benefield
• May 24, 2018

On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 2, which would create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for students in the lowest performing 15 percent of public schools. ESAs…

Media

Education

Tax Credit Scholarships: Pennsylvania is Falling Behind

• Colleen Hroncich
• May 23, 2018

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…

Media

Education

Senate Committee Passes Major Education Reform Bill

• May 22, 2018

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

State Budget

Tax Reform’s Benefits Should Be Embraced, Not Erased

• May 21, 2018

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…

Media

Education

Pittsburgh School District Rescinds Performance-Based Pay

• May 21, 2018

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…

Media

Education

Time to Let Fair Funding Work

• Nathan Benefield
• May 18, 2018

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…

Media

Health Care

A $2,000 Blister and Other Medicaid Failures

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 17, 2018

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…

Media

Education

Election Results Shouldn’t Detract Attention From Real Reforms

• May 16, 2018

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…

Media

Education

Upward Trend in School District Reserve Funds Continues

• Marc LeBlond
• May 14, 2018

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,…

Media

Government Accountability

Transparency is Fundamental to Good Govt

• Colleen Hroncich
• May 11, 2018

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…

Media

Every Child Deserves the Best Education Possible!

• May 11, 2018

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…

Media