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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
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s Do-Nothing Record Makes Him a Perfect Fit for Vice President
Education
New Ad Highlights Shapiro’s Historic Ineffectiveness
Read More: New Ad Highlights Shapiro’s Historic Ineffectiveness
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 FamiliesRegulation
A Turning Point in Pennsylvania?s Budget Debate?
Pennsylvania must confront a $604 million deficit, according to Budget Secretary Randy Albright. This sober assessment was offered during the mid-year budget briefing earlier today. The Independent Fiscal Office (IFO)…
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Read More: A Turning Point in Pennsylvania?s Budget Debate?Public Union Democracy
Watch for Sweeping Changes Outside the Beltway
The political landscape has experienced a seismic shift, and it isn't centered in Washington DC. This past weekend Kyle Peterson of the Wall Street Journal highlighted Pennsylvania and six other…
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Read More: Watch for Sweeping Changes Outside the BeltwayState Budget
State Spending to Blame for Low Economic Opportunity in Pa.
State Spending to Blame for Low Economic Opportunity in Pa. New Report Shows Need for Government Spending Restraint December 13, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—When it comes to controlling…
Press Release
Read More: State Spending to Blame for Low Economic Opportunity in Pa.Regulation
The PLCB: A Winner in a Race with No Competitors
In 2013, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) released its first annual report, emphasizing record sales and “profits.” Neither of these is impressive when analyzed in context, but the…
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Read More: The PLCB: A Winner in a Race with No CompetitorsEducation
Will Lower Standards Help Pa. School Performance?
Pennsylvania’s primary tool for grading schools—the School Performance Profile (SPP)—is being overhauled. The current SPP is not particularly straightforward, but it’s based mainly on test scores and academic…
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No Doubt About it: PA has a Severance Tax
What do Christmas festivities, a new office building, and a Ford Explorer have in common? They were all paid for with impact fees on natural gas, raising doubts about the necessity of…
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Read More: No Doubt About it: PA has a Severance TaxRegulation
What Pennsylvania’s Budget Trends Mean for You
State government is growing at a startling rate. Since 1970, spending has risen by $4,010 per person—an inflation-adjusted increase of 189 percent. This is one of many findings in our…
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Magnum, P.I. Comes to Bethlehem
Bethlehem School District employs private investigators to track down students with fraudulent home addresses. According to The Morning Call, DBM Investigations and Consulting has identified 35 students…
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Read More: Magnum, P.I. Comes to BethlehemTaxes & Economy
PA’s Conflicted Relationship with Natural Gas
The government giveth, and the government taketh away. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Pennsylvania’s relationship with the natural gas industry. On the one hand, Gov. Wolf offers a…
Media
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Hits and Misses from the 2015-16 Legislative Session
That's a wrap. The 2015-16 legislative session is officially in the history books. Despite a $650 million tax hike, Pennsylvanians have a lot to celebrate from the past two years.
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Read More: Hits and Misses from the 2015-16 Legislative SessionRegulation
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: December 2016
State revenue collections came in at $79.5 million below the official estimate for November, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Lackluster collections wiped away the little progress made during October when revenue collections…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: December 2016Education
Details Emerge on Philly Union Negotiations
Intrepid reporter Kristen Graham of the Philadelphia Inquirer unearthed several details from contract negotiations between the school district of Philadelphia and the local teachers’ union, the Philadelphia Federation of…
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Read More: Details Emerge on Philly Union NegotiationsPublic Union Democracy
Government Unions’ Election Impact
One can't understate the scope of government unions' financial involvement in some of the key Pennsylvania races this fall. While final campaign finance numbers are still a few weeks away,…
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Read More: Government Unions’ Election ImpactPublic Union Democracy
The Rust Belt’s Labor Reform Wave
Lagging job growth, rising taxes and coercive union tactics created an appetite for labor reform throughout Rust Belt states. Transforming Labor, our latest policy report, ranks states on their…
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Big Budget Deficits Show Need for Big Changes
Pennsylvania is in a pickle unless lawmakers make fundamental changes. That’s the message of yesterday’s Independent Fiscal Office Economic and Budget Outlook report. Each November the IFO looks at…
Media
Read More: Big Budget Deficits Show Need for Big ChangesRegulation
New IFO Report Emphasizes Need to Reform Spending
New IFO Report Emphasizes Need to Reform Spending State Faces up to $900 Million Budget Hole This Year November 16, 2016, Harrisburg, Pa.—Yesterday’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) mid-year…
Press Release
Read More: New IFO Report Emphasizes Need to Reform SpendingPublic Union Democracy
Pa. Gets a ‘D’ in First Ever 50-State Public Sector Labor Analysis
Study Reveals Most States Earn Low Grades in Public Employee Rights, Taxpayer Protections November 14, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Pennsylvania is one of 22 states ranking an abysmal “D” or “F” for…
Press Release
Read More: Pa. Gets a ‘D’ in First Ever 50-State Public Sector Labor Analysis
The Taxpayer Protection Act is Crucial for Pa.
Under Gov. Wolf's administration, state spending has risen by $2.6 billion. For context, spending over the previous eight years grew by $2.7 billion. Total spending would be higher if it weren’t for fiscally…
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Read More: The Taxpayer Protection Act is Crucial for Pa.Regulation
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: November 2016
Last month we raised concerns about Pennsylvania's fiscal trajectory. At the time, state revenue collections were more than $218 million below the official estimate. The current revenue picture is slightly…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: November 2016Public Union Democracy
A Dramatic Shift in Pennsylvania
From celebration to soul-searching, post-election analysis is everywhere. While top-of-the-ballot results dominate headlines and your news feed, don’t miss the dramatic shift that occurred last night in Pennsylvania. Republicans achieved…
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Can a Dwight Schrute Save Scranton?
Dwight K. Schrute is an employee at Dunder Mifflin—a fictional Scranton paper company featured in NBC’s The Office. And he just may be the key to overcoming the city’s very…
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