Media

State Budget

State Spending Addiction Leads to Tax Hike

• July 13, 2016

Lawmakers are on the cusp of pushing through a $650 million tax increase on working Pennsylvanians. Earlier this afternoon—without much warning or debate—a conference committee passed House Bill…

Media

State Budget

Pa. Enters Day #1 of Illegal, Unbalanced State Budget

• July 12, 2016

Pa. Enters Day #1 of Illegal, Unbalanced State Budget Gov. Wolf Abdicates Constitutional Responsibility to Correct Legislature’s Error July 12, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Today is uncharted territory for Pennsylvania.

Press Release

Education

PSERS Revokes Ghost Teachers? Illegal Pension Credit

• Gina Diorio
• July 12, 2016

In a victory for taxpayers, the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) has revoked pension credit illegally given to Allentown “ghost teachers” who were hired to teach but instead…

Media

State Budget

Will Wolf-Enacted Budget Violate Law?

• July 11, 2016

Will Wolf-Enacted Budget Violate Law? Law Requires Gov. to Veto Spending Above Official Revenue Estimates July 11, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Governor Tom Wolf yesterday announced he would allow the $31.6 billion…

Press Release

Gov. Wolf’s Budget Reversal

• July 11, 2016

In his many press conferences about Pennsylvania's fiscal future, Gov. Wolf was adamant about one thing: the state budget must be truly balanced. He lambasted the General Assembly for its…

Media

State Budget

Lower State Spending Could Improve Bond Rating

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 11, 2016

Last week Moody’s warned an out-of-balance state budget could result in another credit downgrading. By not acting to balance the budget, Governor Wolf is aiding in the devaluation of the…

Media

Wolf Legally Required to Reduce Spending

• Nathan Benefield
• July 11, 2016

Gov. Wolf has a legal responsibility to reduce spending and fix a legislative mistake. Unless the legislature passes a revenue bill today—which seems unlikely—the state budget is unbalanced. Lawmakers sent…

Media

State Budget

Philadelphia’s Cigarette Tax Falls Short

• July 8, 2016

Philadelphia collected nearly $59 million in cigarette taxes between July 2015 and June 2016. Well below the $77.5 million originally anticipated by state lawmakers, according to Anna Orso…

Media

State Budget

Back to the Future: Budget Edition

• Nathan Benefield
• July 8, 2016

Doc Brown showed up at Commonwealth Foundation headquarters in his DeLorean yesterday with a stern warning about the future. “I just returned from 2017! You’ve got to come back with…

Media

State Budget

One of these things is not like the others . . .

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 8, 2016

Remember this popular song from the children's show Sesame Street? It goes, “One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn't belong. . .”…

Media

State Budget

State Government is Spending Money it Doesn’t Have

• July 6, 2016

Pennsylvania is spending taxpayer money it doesn’t have. Yesterday the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released its report on revenue collections for the past fiscal year. Total revenue came in…

Media

Taxes & Economy

PA Manufacturing Withers Under High Tax Load

• Gordon Tomb
• July 6, 2016

As Harrisburg searches for politically acceptable tax hikes to fund a record-breaking budget, Pennsylvania’s attractiveness to manufacturers continues to decline. According to a study reported by the Central…

Media

State Budget

Will Lawmakers Renege on ‘No Broad-Based Taxes’ Pledge?

• July 6, 2016

Will Lawmakers Renege on ‘No Broad-Based Taxes’ Pledge? Natural Gas Gross Receipts Tax Would Hit 2.7 Million Homeowners July 6, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—As lawmakers scramble to find revenue…

Press Release

State Budget

Broad Heating Tax Would Hit Millions

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 5, 2016

Last week, lawmakers and the governor agreed to a $31.6 billion budget, a five percent increase in spending from last year and the largest one-year jump in spending since 2006.

Media

Public Union Democracy

Union Demands vs. Fiscal Realities

• June 30, 2016

One government union’s insatiable appetite for more tax dollars has hit a brick wall. The Wolf Administration is in the process of negotiating a contract with the state’s largest…

Media

Education

Will the Education Code Protect School Choice?

• James Paul
• June 30, 2016

In addition to general appropriations (SB 1073) and the fiscal code (SB 1320), lawmakers are finalizing language in the education code, HB 530. This legislation promises significant reforms…

Media

Regulation

What’s in the Senate Budget?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 29, 2016

Earlier today the state Senate passed an amended version of a House budget proposal, which included the largest spending increase in a decade. The House must now agree to the Senate's changes before sending…

Media

Education

2015 SAT Scores

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 29, 2016

The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is an important indicator of public education quality in Pennsylvania. Currently, the commonwealth ranks 36th out of the 50 states and 3 US territories (Washington…

Media

State Budget

Five Major Flaws in House Budget

• June 28, 2016

Five Major Flaws in House Budget Unsustainable State Spending Threatens Family Budgets June 28, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Today, the state House passed a $31.6 billion spending plan, representing a…

Press Release

Education

The Taxpayers? False Choice

• James Paul
• June 28, 2016

Governor Wolf and legislative leaders present Pennsylvanians with two options. The first requires taxpayers to fork over hundreds of millions in higher taxes. The second calls for steep cuts…

Media

State Budget

House Budget: Massive Spending Increase Would Target Poor for Higher Taxes

• June 28, 2016

House Budget: Massive Spending Increase Would Target Poor for Higher Taxes Proposal Side-Steps Broad Taxes but Relies on Unreliable Cigarette Tax Hike June 28, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Monday night,…

Press Release