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Education
VP Josh Shapiro? Ad Spotlights Governor’s Failed Leadership
Harrisburg, Pa., July 22, 2024 — Some political pundits say Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro would provide the Democratic presidential ticket a boost in a critical battleground state. That will only be…
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Education
Governor Shapiro’s Do-Nothing Record Makes Him a Perfect Fit for Vice President
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Education
New Ad Highlights Shapiro’s Historic Ineffectiveness
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Education
New TV/Digital Ad Holds Gov. Shapiro Accountable for Turning His Back on Vulnerable Families
Read More: New TV/Digital Ad Holds Gov. Shapiro Accountable for Turning His Back on Vulnerable FamiliesCriminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reforms Continue to Benefit Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania’s bipartisan criminal justice efforts are continuing to pay dividends. According to statistics released by the Department of Corrections (DOC), the state’s prison population fell by 863 inmates—the…
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Read More: Criminal Justice Reforms Continue to Benefit PennsylvaniansTaxes & Economy
Residents Still Moving out of PA, So Will Congressional Districts
Overlooked in yesterday’s news about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordering a new Congressional district map was the fact that—regardless of the outcome of that case—Pennsylvania will likely lose a congressional…
Media
Read More: Residents Still Moving out of PA, So Will Congressional DistrictsEducation
Education Savings Accounts Earn High Marks from Pa. Voters
As parents and students celebrate National School Choice Week with events in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, a new poll shows Pennsylvanians want to put more educational choices…
Press Release
Read More: Education Savings Accounts Earn High Marks from Pa. VotersEducation
ESAs Empower Parents, Protect Public Schools
It's National School Choice Week and this year Pennsylvania lawmakers have an incredible opportunity to help students trapped in failing schools. SB 2 holds the lowest performing schools…
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New Board, New Opportunities in Philadelphia School District
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney recently appointed a 13-member nominating panel that will shape the district’s new school board. High on the panel’s list of requirements should be instilling a…
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Read More: New Board, New Opportunities in Philadelphia School DistrictRegulation
Lifting PA’s Heavy Regulatory Burdens
Tackling one regulation at a time, House lawmakers released a regulatory overreach report aimed at responsibly lightening the commonwealth's heavy regulatory burden. It takes 18 weeks to read the Pennsylvania…
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Read More: Lifting PA’s Heavy Regulatory BurdensHealth Care
Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Medicaid Work Requirements
In other states, thousands of Americans previously dependent on government programs have transformed their lives and achieved independence thanks to work requirements. But Pennsylvania’s human services system still traps people…
Press Release
Read More: Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Medicaid Work RequirementsHealth Care
States Get Green Light to Propose Medicaid Work Requirements
It's official: The Trump administration has formally endorsed the policy of work requirements for healthy Medicaid recipients. For years states have sought this flexibility to help beneficiaries of Medicaid—government-run health insurance…
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Read More: States Get Green Light to Propose Medicaid Work RequirementsTaxes & Economy
Coal and Nuclear Subsidies Rejected, Time to End All Energy Subsidies
Government subsidies for so-called green energy are contributing to the closings of coal and nuclear plants that keep Pennsylvania’s electricity system reliable. In response, the U.S. Department of Energy…
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Read More: Coal and Nuclear Subsidies Rejected, Time to End All Energy SubsidiesPublic Union Democracy
Unions Send $1B of Members’ Dues to Liberal Groups
No one should be forced to fund values they disagree with—yet that’s exactly what’s happening to union members. Dues collected from workers’ paychecks, often at taxpayer expense, are used for…
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Read More: Unions Send $1B of Members’ Dues to Liberal GroupsEducation
ESAs Heading to New England
News of a $560 million Powerball lottery ticket being sold in New Hampshire seems to have overshadowed news of the state House of Representatives passing education savings accounts (ESAs) last…
Media
Read More: ESAs Heading to New EnglandRegulation
Public Employee Compensation Reaches $100k
This post was updated to reflect a change in private sector compensation. For the first time in Pennsylvania’s history, the average cost of a state employee exceeds $100,000, according…
Media
Read More: Public Employee Compensation Reaches $100kTaxes & Economy
Lawmakers Seek to Restore Dignity of Work
In the first press conference of 2018, House Republicans introduced a package of bills aimed at breaking generational poverty. Rep. Tobash urged reform given the desperate state of…
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Read More: Lawmakers Seek to Restore Dignity of WorkPublic Union Democracy
2017 Labor Reform Roundup
Is Pennsylvania a worker-friendly state? According to our updated, comprehensive report grading each state’s public sector labor laws’, the answer is no. Pennsylvania ranks a measly “D” compared to others…
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Read More: 2017 Labor Reform RoundupEducation
Taxpayers Notch Another Win Against Ghost Teaching
Reading residents received an early Christmas present this week, as the city’s teachers’ union agreed to reimburse taxpayers for the costs of ghost teaching in the Reading School District.
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Read More: Taxpayers Notch Another Win Against Ghost TeachingPublic Union Democracy
Paycheck Protection Timeline
Paycheck protection is a commonsense reform that moves Pennsylvania a significant step closer to ethical government. Though recently stalled in the House, a brief history of paycheck protection demonstrates…
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Tax Cuts and Jobs Act a Win for Pennsylvanians
Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Charles Mitchell released the following statement in reaction to Congress passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: In the 31 years since Congress last…
Press Release
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High Spending Holds Pennsylvania’s Economy Back
Pennsylvania holds steady in Fraser Institute’s annual report on economic freedom with a middling score of 18..Pennsylvania continues to outperform its neighbors when it comes to controlling spending, limiting…
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Read More: High Spending Holds Pennsylvania’s Economy BackState Budget
Has the Wolf Administration Cured Pennsylvania’s Budget Ills?
Secretary of the Budget Randy Albright gave a surprisingly upbeat mid-year budget briefing yesterday. According to the state’s budget office, Pennsylvania’s structural deficit is virtually gone. Yet, reason…
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Read More: Has the Wolf Administration Cured Pennsylvania’s Budget Ills?Health Care
Obamacare Exchanges Continue To Dissapoint
Open enrollment for Obamacare exchange plans ends on December 15. It is convenient to blame the new administration and efforts to repeal the law for dwindling choices, disappointing enrollment, and…
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Read More: Obamacare Exchanges Continue To DissapointPublic Union Democracy
SB 166 Falls Short in the House
Last night, Pennsylvania’s government union leaders preserved their exclusive political privilege. By a close vote of 90-102, the state House voted down SB 166 which would have prohibited…
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Read More: SB 166 Falls Short in the House