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Public Union Democracy

Reading Schools Stop Paying Ghost Teachers

• Jessica Barnett
• May 10, 2018

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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Health Care

A Future for My Kids and Me

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 10, 2018

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

• May 9, 2018

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

State Budget

Why the Taxpayer Protection Act Matters to You

• May 4, 2018

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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Taxes & Economy

The Path to Prosperity

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 2, 2018

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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Criminal Justice Reform

Unanimous Senate Vote Advances Criminal Justice Reform

• May 2, 2018

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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Taxes & Economy

State House Strengthens Food Stamps Work Requirements

• May 1, 2018

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

Taxes & Economy

Wolf’s Severance Tax Among the Highest in the Nation

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 1, 2018

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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Government Accountability

Government that Works?in the Shadows

• May 1, 2018

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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Taxes & Economy

Migration Update

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 28, 2018

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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Public Union Democracy

PSU Graduate Students Reject Unionization

• Jessica Barnett
• April 25, 2018

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…

Media

State Budget

Pa.’s Economy Continues to Underwhelm

• April 25, 2018

Just how burdensome have Pennsylvania taxes and regulations become? According to the latest edition of Rich States, Poor States (RSPS), the commonwealth ranks 35th in the nation for economic performance…

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Regulation

Seize Opportunities to Transform Pennsylvania

• April 24, 2018

Maximizing our state’s potential requires a willingness to break from the status quo and find better ways to govern. Several improvements indicate Pennsylvania is moving in this direction, such…

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Education

Students Harmed when Scholarships are Politicized

• Colleen Hroncich
• April 23, 2018

Bill Blum, Director of Finance at Kennedy Catholic High School (KCHS) in Hermitage, witnesses the power of education choice every day. But he’s also seen the suffering caused when these…

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Education

Teacher Strike Capitol of America

• April 23, 2018

Pennsylvania is the teacher strike capital of America. Since 1999, Pennsylvania families have suffered through 131 strikes, affecting 300,000 students and causing 1,383 missed school days. This research, including county,…

Press Release

Health Care

Welfare Reform is Sweeping the Nation

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 20, 2018

“Right now, America combines near-record-low unemployment with near-record-high welfare dependency — the result of state-level eligibility exemptions, federal loopholes and policies that put work on the back burner.” Those are…

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Education

Answering Questions About ESAs

• April 20, 2018

Education Savings Accounts (ESA) allow parents to customize and personalize their child's education. With an ESA, parents withdraw their child from the local public school and instead receive money from…

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Taxes & Economy

The Dignity of Work in Rural Pennsylvania

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 19, 2018

The Brockway Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) is only five years old, but it has helped over 100 unemployed and underemployed Pennsylvanians find fulfilling and family-sustaining healthcare careers.

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Regulation

Solving Pa.’s Corporate Welfare Problem is Key to Tax Reform

• April 19, 2018

Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal projects a small reduction in corporate welfare spending. When compared to the current budget, spending would decline by more than $26 million.   However,…

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Taxes & Economy

House Passes Work-Promoting Medicaid Reform

• April 17, 2018

Today, the state House passed legislation, HB 2138, promoting independence among healthy, adult Medicaid recipients by requiring them to find part-time work or engage in job training to continue receiving…

Press Release

Public Union Democracy

4 Facts on Pennsylvania Teacher Strikes

• Priya Brannick
• April 13, 2018

Between the nearly averted strike in Pittsburgh and statewide strikes in West Virginia and Oklahoma, the validity of teacher strikes is once again up for debate. Here are four facts…

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