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Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Harrisburg, Pa., May 6, 2025—Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee approved legislation to establish Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Scholarships. Similar to the popular Lifeline Scholarship proposal, PASS would…
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 Benefits
Education
Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Read More: Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Prosperity
Stephen Bloom joins RJ Harris in the Morning to Talk Tax Reform
Read More: Stephen Bloom joins RJ Harris in the Morning to Talk Tax ReformTaxes & Economy
Free Enterprise and Taxpayer Protection Act
An issue the Commonwealth Foundation has weighed in on, government “enterprises” that compete with private businesses. Read more about it here. Below is the Capitolwire.com story on yesterday’s hearing…
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Read More: Free Enterprise and Taxpayer Protection ActRegulation
Auction Slots Licenses
The Commonwealth Foundation called for auctioning off the slots licenses in 2003 and 2004, but the gambling proponents decided to “sell” them at a 90% discount rate.
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Read More: Auction Slots LicensesEducation
Educating From the Bench
Judges order legislators to spend more on schools, and taxpayers see less in return. Dr. Jay P. Greene in today’s Wall Street Journal.
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Read More: Educating From the BenchTaxes & Economy
Minimum wage, maximum folly
Walter Williams in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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Read More: Minimum wage, maximum follyTaxes & Economy
Why a windfall tax is bad policy
Should the federal government create a new tax on profits only for oil companies, as Governor Rendell suggests? This “windfall tax” esentially ensures a limit on the amount of…
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Read More: Why a windfall tax is bad policyGovernment Accountability
Court says auditor general cannot be made to review Legislature
So much for the Auditor General being the taxpayers’ watchdog! According to the AP: “A state court on Monday rejected a lawsuit by a citizen who wanted thestate…
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Read More: Court says auditor general cannot be made to review LegislatureGovernment Accountability
The price of gas
Gouging…by government. Read the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Editorial.
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Read More: The price of gasRegulation
2001 pension vote could cost billions
The REPUBLICAN & Herald story on the coming crisis.
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Read More: 2001 pension vote could cost billionsRegulation
Pension caps would benefit taxpayers
Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Rick Dreyfuss in today’s Patriot-News.
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Read More: Pension caps would benefit taxpayersEducation
New Report on High School Graduation
A new report from the Manhattan Institute, released today, attempts to calculate real (as opposed to reported) high school graduation rates, using a consistent methodology across states. They found…
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Read More: New Report on High School GraduationTaxes & Economy
Cut taxes to attract jobs
Commonwealth Foundation’s Nate Benefield in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Read More: Cut taxes to attract jobsGovernment Accountability
One Man Collection Agency
John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News on Gov. Rendell’s campaign contributions.
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Read More: One Man Collection AgencyGovernment Accountability
Voter fraud in Pennsylvania? Gov. Rendell isn’t worried.
John Fund on Pennsylvania election fraud and oddities in today’s Wall Street Journal…
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Read More: Voter fraud in Pennsylvania? Gov. Rendell isn’t worried.State Budget
Rendell’s faux budget hides real growth in spending : The Morning Call Online
Read Grant Gulibon’s commentary in today’s Allentown Morning Call.
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Read More: Rendell’s faux budget hides real growth in spending : The Morning Call OnlineTaxes & Economy
The Property Tax Relief Scholarship Act
It is “like throwing gasoline on a fire,” said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reivew. The idea is “definitely…
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Read More: The Property Tax Relief Scholarship ActRegulation
They could have thought of a better title
The Pittsbuhgh Post-Gazette titled their story, “Use casino revenue for school vouchers, group suggests.” I guess that’s better than “Dirty Gambling Money to Undermine the Separation of Church and…
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Read More: They could have thought of a better titleTaxes & Economy
New, Better Property Tax Relief Proposal – Media Coverage
Patriot News “Breaking News” coverage of our Property Tax Relief Scholarship proposal. Get our press release, or download our Policy Brief for more details and district-specific property…
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Read More: New, Better Property Tax Relief Proposal – Media CoverageHealth Care
Health care for everyone?
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney writes in today’s Wall Street Journal that he believes he’s found a way to provide health care for everyone, with “no new taxes, no employer…
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Read More: Health care for everyone?Education
Philly quadruples number of teachers fired for lack of performance
Before you think there is a major focus on teacher quality in the Philadelphia School District, the quadrupling of the number of teacher fired for performance was from 2 in…
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Read More: Philly quadruples number of teachers fired for lack of performanceTaxes & Economy
Governor Rendell: The Era of Big Government is Just Beginning
Two Gems from Governor Rendell in The Scranton Times-Tribune: “Rendell says voters have a clear choice between a candidate who talks of cutting taxes and limiting spending – Swann…
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Read More: Governor Rendell: The Era of Big Government is Just BeginningState Budget
Are they really “Fake” Republicans?
OpinionJournal – John Fund on the Trail: “‘The Republican Party is now principally moderate, if not liberal’ on spending, Mr. Specter told reporters after a majority of GOP senators…
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Read More: Are they really “Fake” Republicans?