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Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Commonwealth Foundation’s new report analyzes the success of DoorDash’s Portable Benefits Pilot Program in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pa., April 24, 2025 – DoorDash unveiled its portable benefits pilot…
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 Reform
Fairness
New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Read More: New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union SpendingHealth Care
What the Senate ACA Repeal Plan Means for PA
A draft of the U.S. Senate GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare is out in the open. Overall, the bill is a step in right direction. The plan fundamentally…
Media
Read More: What the Senate ACA Repeal Plan Means for PAEducation
Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings Accounts
How do we determine if a school is succeeding? Many will point to a combination of test scores, graduation rates, and student growth. Certainly, these are important factors—but by no…
Media
Read More: Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings AccountsRegulation
Growing PA’s Economy through Relief, not Mandates
Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in terms of job growth (46th) and personal income growth (45th). Our unemployment rate remains well above the national average and our economy grew…
Media
Read More: Growing PA’s Economy through Relief, not MandatesEducation
Audio: “Rainy Day” Funds Raining on Taxpayers
School districts across Pennsylvania have stashed away millions of surplus funds for a “rainy day,” yet some continue to request higher taxes at the same time. Of course, for…
Media
Read More: Audio: “Rainy Day” Funds Raining on Taxpayers
News Release: Last Year’s State Budget Killed Nearly 100 Vape Shops
Facing a budget shortfall last year, lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf slapped a massive 40 percent wholesale tax on vaping products, forcing vape shop owners to pay the tax retroactively…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: Last Year’s State Budget Killed Nearly 100 Vape ShopsEducation
Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?
Philadelphia’s new teacher contract could be so expensive as to require teacher layoffs to pay for it. But there’s another way the $395 million pact could be financed: with…
Media
Read More: Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?State Budget
Stop Calling for Higher Taxes
In comments at the Pennsylvania Press Club yesterday, Sen. Jay Costa addressed the state deficit and called for tax increases. Costa said, “A year from now, someone will be standing…
Media
Read More: Stop Calling for Higher TaxesEducation
Philly Union Contract Underscores Need for Transparency
On Monday evening, members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) voted to approve a new labor contract with the School District of Philadelphia. Scant details have emerged on…
Media
Read More: Philly Union Contract Underscores Need for TransparencyState Budget
The Solution to Pa.’s Perpetual Deficit Problems
Pennsylvania is rapidly approaching the June 30 budget deadline. Over the next two weeks, lawmakers will decide how to balance the 2017-18 budget. But they’ll also need to settle old…
Media
Read More: The Solution to Pa.’s Perpetual Deficit ProblemsHealth Care
One Step Towards Redesigning Human Services
Governor Wolf’s proposal to merge four state agencies into the Department of Health and Human Services has the potential to benefit taxpayers and beneficiaries by eliminating bureaucratic redundancies and providing…
Media
Read More: One Step Towards Redesigning Human ServicesHealth Care
Obamacare’s Cost Increase Aren’t “Just Fine”
This week, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller sent a letter suggesting that an 8.8 percent increase in insurance premiums next year was a good thing, and…
Media
Read More: Obamacare’s Cost Increase Aren’t “Just Fine”Regulation
Pennsylvania Ranks Poorly…Again
Redesigning state government has never been more important. For evidence, check out Pennsylvania’s poor performance in U.S. News & World Report’s recent Best States Rankings. Overall, the study puts the…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Ranks Poorly…AgainEducation
Are Pennsylvania Schools Underfunded?
New figures from Pennsylvania's Department of Education refute the persistent myth that Pennsylvania public schools are underfunded. See the charts below for 2015-16 statistics on school spending,…
Media
Read More: Are Pennsylvania Schools Underfunded?Regulation
Making the Most of Philadelphia’s Upswing
Last week I blogged about Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s misplaced confidence in government energy mandates to grow the Steel City. On the other side of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney…
Media
Read More: Making the Most of Philadelphia’s UpswingRegulation
Gov. Wolf Signs Historic Pension Reform
Yesterday Governor Wolf signed transformative pension reform. SB 1 will establish a side-by-side hybrid plan for new employees, greatly reducing taxpayer risk and laying the foundation for further reform.
Media
Read More: Gov. Wolf Signs Historic Pension ReformEducation
Non-Teacher Staffing Surge Fails Students
Students have not benefited from large increases in public school staffing, according to a new study from EdChoice. Dr. Ben Scafidi, director of the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw…
Media
Read More: Non-Teacher Staffing Surge Fails StudentsEducation
Growing Chorus Urges School Boards to Protect Taxpayers
In response to CF’s research on school district reserve funds, reporters and editorial boards have weighed in on the question: Why are districts holding millions in reserve while seeking…
Media
Read More: Growing Chorus Urges School Boards to Protect TaxpayersHealth Care
PA’s Unaffordable Health Care Act Premiums
If there’s ever a contest for least accurately named law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would certainly be in the running. In the aftermath of the ACA, more commonly called…
Media
Read More: PA’s Unaffordable Health Care Act PremiumsHealth Care
Saving Medicaid
Obamacare proponents insist the American Health Care Act (AHCA) will cut $800 billion from Medicaid and jeopardize care for the disabled and children. This claim is oft-repeated, but it is patently false.
Media
Read More: Saving MedicaidRegulation
Historic Pension Reform: Thank You!
Today's pension reform passage—and Gov. Wolf's support—mark a historic moment for our state. Pennsylvania is about to enact the most significant pension reform in the nation. You can read much more…
Media
Read More: Historic Pension Reform: Thank You!Regulation
News Release: Pa. to Enact Nation’s Most Significant Pension Reform
In an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, the state House today voted 143-53 to approve transformative pension reform legislation hailed as a part of a “major turn-around among states” by the…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: Pa. to Enact Nation’s Most Significant Pension Reform