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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…
Read More: Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
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 BenefitsState Budget
Budget Deal Autopsy: The Good, the Bad, the Uglyand A Fistful of Unspent Dollars
HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation offered a brief analysis (with apologies to Clint Eastwood) of the tentative Pennsylvania General Fund budget deal that is currently being finalized in…
Press Release
Read More: Budget Deal Autopsy: The Good, the Bad, the Uglyand A Fistful of Unspent Dollars
Reader questions about budget
Questions from a PolicyBlog Reader: Q: What is this $1.6 billion dollar fund referenced in the Post-Gazette? It appears to be slots money which, I thought,…
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Oh yeah – the budget is higher
The agreed-to budget figure Gov. Rendell reported last night was lower. From Pennsylvania Legislative Services: GOVERNOR ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIABy Kimberly CollinsThis afternoon the…
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Lame Duck, or Big Winner?
Tony Phyrillas celebrates Rendell’s losses in the budget deal – too bad that doesn’t do taxpayers any good. Phyrillas likes the “no new taxes” – but new taxes…
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Read More: Lame Duck, or Big Winner?
Economics of Smoking Bans
Some more resources on the economic impact of smoking bans, for legislators considering a smoking ban – see also our Policy Point on Smoking Bans: ECONOMIC LOSSES…
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Secondhand Smoke Facts
Some more resources on the scientific evidence of second hand smoke, for legislators considering a smoking ban – see also our Policy Point on Smoking Bans: Secondhand Smoke…
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Read More: Secondhand Smoke Facts
Price of Candy is Up!
So I went to our office snack tray to buy an afternoon snack and notice that the price had gone up, and there was a note about the price of…
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Read More: Price of Candy is Up!
Budget PR from PHMC
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission uses it taxpayer provided resources to blame the PA Senate for trying to “cut” programs from the budget (with an $899 million increase). Which…
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Read More: Budget PR from PHMC
Budget Questions
Lingering questions/issues about the budget negotiations (with links to Commonwealth Foundation information on these issues): What will be the final percent increase in the General Fund? The Taxpayer Protection…
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More Debt for Pork?
According to reports, the House Democrats are holding up the budget negotiations for more $500 million in new bonds for “Redevelopment Assistance Capital Projects.” What the heck are those, you…
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Read More: More Debt for Pork?Regulation
Gov. Ed Rendells Ransom
PA Governor holds state workers and public services hostage for higher taxes and fees, despite $650M tax surplus. HARRISBURG, PA – Nearly 25,000 state workers were furloughed and many public…
Press Release
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A Letter To Ed
Letter from a soon-to-be furloughed state worker to Gov. Rendell, courtesy of PA Clean Sweep.
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Tax Impact of SCHIP Expansion
Last week I pointed out that Governor Rendell’s call for increased federal funding of SCHIP was because by passing “Cover All Kids”, the General Assembly created a program which…
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Read More: Tax Impact of SCHIP Expansion
Public Schools Respond to School Choice
Post Gazette story on Regional Choice Initiative in Beaver County. This would allow students who want a particular class, not offered by their district, to enroll in that class…
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Read More: Public Schools Respond to School Choice
Pass it all NOW – Don’t think!
News release from the GovernorEditorial by the Post-Gazette calls for legislators to act on “reform” and pass a bunch of legislation in early July – unrelated to the budget…
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Some Definitions
“Ponzi scheme,” from Wikipedia Rendell Energy Plan, from the Governor’s office Note the striking similarities. Also read Jared Walczak’s commentary on Energy Depletion. Despite all of the…
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Read More: Some DefinitionsTaxes & Economy
Rushed Legislation is Usually Flawed Legislation
Commonwealth Foundation and Reason Foundation urge lawmakers to slow down on the transportation proposal MEMORANDUM TO: Members of the Pennsylvania State Senate, Members of the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesFROM:…
Press Release
Read More: Rushed Legislation is Usually Flawed Legislation
More Rendell Rhetoric
Governor’s latest news release: “Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are without health insurance, roads and bridges are crumbling, public transit services are being cut and medical research facilities…
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Read More: More Rendell Rhetoric
Gov: “Spend it All!”
Central Penn Business Journal on Governor Rendell’s press conference:. Rendell said he is particularly disturbed by comments Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Gibson Armstrong (R-Lancaster and York counties)…
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Interest earned vs. interest paid
Geoff Segal on the Reason Foundation’s blog points to a counter of the interest earned by Indiana from privatizing the Indiana toll road – currently at $180 million,…
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Read More: Interest earned vs. interest paid
Don’t bank on legality of I-80 tolls
Altoona Mirror advises lawmakers not to pass a plan that spends money from I-80 tolls, since getting I-80 tolls are questionable at best. From our News Release: “It…
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Read More: Don’t bank on legality of I-80 tolls