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State Budget

What’s in the Final 2016-17 Budget?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 15, 2016

On June 30, the legislature passed a $31.6 billion General Fund Budget. Gov. Wolf allowed this budget to become law without his signature on July 12. On July 13,…

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Government Accountability

Unlearned State Budget Lessons

• July 15, 2016

Charles Mitchell, newly appointed President and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, appeared last week on PMA Perspective to discuss this year’s state budget process and the “unlearned lessons” of last…

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State Budget

Budget: Still Irresponsible, Still Unbalanced

• July 14, 2016

Budget: Still Irresponsible, Still Unbalanced Despite Fanfare, Budget Remains $300 Million in the Red July 14, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Yesterday, Gov. Wolf and lawmakers approved a tax and revenue package…

Press Release

State Budget

How the $650 Million Tax Increase Impacts You

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 14, 2016

The state budget is, for all intents and purposes, complete. While it remains unbalanced, we now know exactly which taxes are going up.  The $650 million tax hike passed by the…

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State Budget

Legislature Sends $600 Million Tax Increase to Gov. Wolf

• July 13, 2016

Legislature Sends $600 Million Tax Increase to Gov. Wolf Pennsylvanians to Pay More for Cigarettes, eBooks, Apps, Streaming Video July 13, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Hoping to balance the unconstitutional, unbalanced…

Press Release

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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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. . .”…

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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…

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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…

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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.

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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…

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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…

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