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State Budget

What Is in the House Budget?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 28, 2016

Last night, the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee advanced a $31.6 billion general fund budget. This budget is now lined up for a final vote in the House. Here is…

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State Budget

Which Taxes Might be Going Up?

• Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
• June 24, 2016

Less than one week remains before the state budget deadline, and details are slowly emerging about a $31.5 billion spending plan. This $1.5 billion spending increase would be the largest spending…

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Regulation

Sin-sylvania?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 22, 2016

According to a new Watchdog.org analysis, Pennsylvania leads in the nation in collections from “sin taxes.” The commonwealth collects more than $2.7 billion annually in taxes on tobacco, alcohol or…

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Economy is Falling Further Behind

• Nathan Benefield
• June 21, 2016

Pennsylvania's economy isn't looking so hot this summer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports: Pennsylvania lost 23,600 jobs in the last two months (nonfarm, payroll jobs). Over the same…

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Stacked Hybrid Plan Falls Short

• Catherine Fitzhugh
• June 21, 2016

Our state's unfunded pension liability climbed 730% in the last ten years; it's at almost $5,000 for every man, woman, and child in the state.  How does this affect you? Rick…

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Three Reasons to Avoid Tobacco Taxes

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 20, 2016

Media reports indicate the state House is formulating a tobacco tax package to raise an estimated $500 million. The proposal reflects Wolf’s original plan to raise cigarette…

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State Budget

8 Years of Spending Hikes Crammed into 2?

• June 20, 2016

8 Years of Spending Hikes Crammed into 2? $2.85 Billion Spending Increase Since 2015 Would Tie Previous 8-Year Total June 20, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—In the eight years before…

Press Release

State Budget

Tax Hikes Coming Soon?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 20, 2016

The latest budget rumors indicate legislative leadership and Gov. Wolf are negotiating a budget that would spend at least $31.5 billion and upwards of $32 billion. To put these spending…

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State Budget

Don’t Balance the Budget on the Backs of Working People

• June 17, 2016

With little time left until the new fiscal year and fewer than two weeks to avoid another budget impasse, informal budget proposals are floating throughout the state Capitol. One proposal…

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Taxes & Economy

Energy Mandates a Double Whammy

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 17, 2016

Alternative energy mandates raise the cost of living and make it harder for people to find work. These are the findings of a new paper on the government's futile efforts…

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Education

Is Your School Hoarding Cash? 42% of Districts Hold Questionable Reserves

• June 16, 2016

Is Your School Hoarding Cash? 42% of Pa. Districts Hold Questionable Reserves $4.3 Billion Reserve Funds Questioned As Property Taxes Rise June 16, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—The $200 million…

Press Release

Public Union Democracy

PA’s Long Tradition of Faux Pension Reform

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 16, 2016

Pennsylvania's pension problem is nothing new. Over the years, lawmakers have tried to salvage the fundamentally broken system instead of creating a system that works. The latest attempt, SB…

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Education

School Districts Amass Record Reserve Funds

• James Paul
• June 15, 2016

Is your local school board planning to raise property taxes despite holding millions in reserve funds? For many Pennsylvania school districts, the answer may be “yes.”   Check out…

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Regulation

House Pension ‘Reform’ Overpromises, Underdelivers

• June 14, 2016

House Pension ‘Reform’ Overpromises, Underdelivers Senate Should Enact True Reform That Protects Pennsylvanians June 14, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—The state House today passed a pension bill that promises reform…

Press Release

Government Accountability

Local School District Leads the Way on Transparency

• June 14, 2016

The Quakertown Community School Board (QCSB) is scrapping a conventional collective bargaining practice. Normally, unions and public employers don’t reveal the details of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until after…

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Education

‘Underfunded’ Pa. Schools Spend Nearly $16,000 Per Pupil

• June 14, 2016

‘Underfunded’ Pa. Schools Spend Nearly $16,000 Per Pupil District Reserves Reach $4.3 Billion in 2014-15 as Attendance Declines June 14, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Contradicting the claim that Pennsylvania underfunds…

Press Release

What PA’s New Fair Funding Formula Means for Education

• Catherine Fitzhugh
• June 13, 2016

The recently completed 2015-16 state budget includes a fair funding formula which disburses new state education dollars to each school district based on enrollment numbers, the number of students from low-income…

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Regulation

Corporate Welfare: The New Budget Hostage

• June 10, 2016

Gov. Wolf is withholding approval of corporate welfare projects until lawmakers agree to advance his legislative agenda. According to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story, administration aides told Senate Republicans no…

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Regulation

Latest Plan Could Grow the Pension Iceberg

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 10, 2016

On the heels of bipartisan wine reform, the PA House is reportedly considering a pension reform plan that could actually increase pension costs. Known as a stacked-hybrid plan, the current bill…

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Regulation

5 Reasons to Continue the Push for Liquor Privatization

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 9, 2016

Some lawmakers and the media have labeled the latest liquor reforms as “historic” and “sweeping.” The Patriot-News described the reform as the “most substantial overhaul of Pennsylvania's liquor system…

Media

Regulation

Shell Cracker Plant Proves Taxes Matter to Job Creators

• Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
• June 8, 2016

Workers hit by the natural gas slump in western PA received some much needed good news this week. Shell announced they will proceed with building a multibillion dollar chemical…

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