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Fairness
New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Government unions spent more than $33 million on political causes and only 5.2 percent of PAC contributions went to non-Democratic candidates. Harrisburg, Pa., April 16, 2025 — Government unions…
Read More: New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Prosperity
Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Read More: Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Education
Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Read More: Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of Policy
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of Policy
House Budget Solution Spares Taxpayers
Tired of hearing about the state budget impasse? There could finally be light at the end of the tunnel and, for taxpayers, it’s not an oncoming train. On Wednesday, the…
Media
Read More: House Budget Solution Spares TaxpayersState Budget
More Budget Scare Tactics
Gov. Wolf announced on Friday that he will delay $1.7 billion in payments to Medicaid providers (for a week) and to the public school employees' pension fund. The governor cited the General…
Media
Read More: More Budget Scare TacticsState Budget
House Lawmakers Vote to Protect Taxpayers
Last night, 103 House lawmakers voted for a no-tax, no-borrowing plan that will balance the state budget once fully implemented. Please take a moment to thank those lawmakers.
Media
Read More: House Lawmakers Vote to Protect TaxpayersState Budget
Lawmakers’ Choice: Take from Taxpayers or Rein in Reserves
The path to ending the state budget impasse is becoming increasingly clear. Two plans with competing visions are at the forefront of debate in Harrisburg. The first option is a…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers’ Choice: Take from Taxpayers or Rein in ReservesState Budget
Inquirer Hurls Insults While Lawmakers Embrace Budget Solutions
Yesterday, The Philadelphia Inquirer published an editorial (paywall) attacking House Republicans for defending Pennsylvanians against tax increases and working to avoid driving the state deeper into debt. The editorial…
Media
Read More: Inquirer Hurls Insults While Lawmakers Embrace Budget SolutionsState Budget
Debunking the Claims of Gov. Wolf and His Special Interest Allies
A few misconceptions surrounding the House Republicans’ plan to balance the budget need to be corrected. First, the plan would redirect just 14 percent of the $9.3 billion…
Media
Read More: Debunking the Claims of Gov. Wolf and His Special Interest AlliesState Budget
The Numbers behind the Shadow Budget
Yesterday, a group of House Republicans unveiled a proposal to balance the state budget without borrowing or major tax increases. The crux of the plan relies on the use of $1.3…
Media
Read More: The Numbers behind the Shadow BudgetState Budget
House Lawmakers Unveil New Revenue Proposal
Today, a contingent of House Republicans—with the support of House leadership—released a plan to balance the state budget without borrowing or imposing broad-based tax increases. This is a positive development…
Media
Read More: House Lawmakers Unveil New Revenue ProposalState Budget
House Plan Taps Shadow Budget Stash to Pay State’s Bills
In a potential breakthrough in the state’s two-month budget stalemate, House Republicans today unveiled a plan to use state government fund surpluses to help balance the budget. The funds in…
Press Release
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Here’s How to Pay Last Year’s Bills without Tax Hikes
On Tuesday, House Republicans will unveil their plan to balance the budget without hiking taxes on families and job creators and without costly borrowing. How will they do it? Transferring…
Media
Read More: Here’s How to Pay Last Year’s Bills without Tax HikesPublic Union Democracy
Major Win for Taxpayers in Allentown Ghost Teaching Fight
The free ride is over for one local teachers' union. This week, The Morning Call reported on a major change to ghost teaching in the Allentown School District. The…
Media
Read More: Major Win for Taxpayers in Allentown Ghost Teaching FightRegulation
Higher Prices Coming to a State Store Near You
Years of boondoogles and blunders at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) make for a compelling list of reasons for complete privatization. Now there's another item to add to the…
Media
Read More: Higher Prices Coming to a State Store Near YouState Budget
Pennsylvania’s Fiscal Irresponsibility Bears Repeating
A critic, responding to my op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer, opines that I am repeating the “mantra” that lawmakers should control the growth of spending and avoid job-killing tax…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Fiscal Irresponsibility Bears RepeatingEducation
Diverse Students Need Diverse Choices
Were a doctor to give every patient an aspirin regardless of their diagnosis, most would consider the doctor unqualified. Sure, the patients with a fever or a headache might be satisfied, but…
Media
Read More: Diverse Students Need Diverse ChoicesState Budget
Treasurer Playing Chicken with State Budget
In a news interview yesterday, State Treasurer Joe Torsella threatened that he won’t allow the state to borrow any more money to pay bills, unless the budget is balanced.
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Read More: Treasurer Playing Chicken with State BudgetTaxes & Economy
Severance Tax Talk is Stunting Investment in Pa.
One tax is emblematic of Pennsylvania’s failure to grow the economy with more government spending: the natural gas severance tax. Special interest groups have worked for a decade to enact a…
Media
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Why Pa.’s Department of Corrections is a Model to Follow
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) recently released the results of SIP-HOPE—a promising new pilot program aimed at reducing recidivism. According to DOC, the program led to a 13…
Media
Read More: Why Pa.’s Department of Corrections is a Model to FollowPublic Union Democracy
UFCW Fined for Misreporting Terrible Anti-Privatization TV Ads
Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has persistently generated corruption scandals as it manages the state-run liquor system. Now, the loudest advocate for retaining this inefficient and unpopular…
Media
Read More: UFCW Fined for Misreporting Terrible Anti-Privatization TV AdsState Budget
Pennsylvania’s Small Towns Need Harrisburg to Think Big
The stories are all too familiar. In towns hollowed out by economic downturns, Pennsylvanians are struggling to get by. Many are wondering when, or if, things will get better. Small…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Small Towns Need Harrisburg to Think Big
State Government Continues to Grow
As I pointed out last week, the total operating budget for Pennsylvania exceeds $80 billion. In addition to the $32 billion General Fund, the $49 billion “shadow budget” includes $28.7 billion…
Media
Read More: State Government Continues to GrowRegulation
Reducing the State’s Cash Stockpile Can Help Balance the Budget
Lawmakers considering balancing the budget with borrowing and higher taxes could opt for a responsible alternative: drawing down funds from the shadow budget's “banking accounts.” But first, let’s take a…
Media
Read More: Reducing the State’s Cash Stockpile Can Help Balance the Budget