Press Releases

Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. Prison Population Plummets by Most in History — Again

• January 21, 2020

January 21, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa.—Pennsylvania’s prison population dropped by 1,495 individuals in 2019, according to new Department of Corrections numbers—the sharpest decline ever recorded. The number of incarcerated Pennsylvanians…

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Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. Leading Nation on Smart Justice Reform

• December 18, 2019

December 18, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. – Today, the Pa. Legislature passed two bills that firmly establish Pennsylvania as a national leader on criminal justice reform. Senate Bills 500 and…

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Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. One Step Closer to Fairer Corrections System, Safer Communities with Bipartisan Justice Reforms

• December 9, 2019

December 9, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee took an important step toward making Pennsylvania’s corrections system more efficient, more cost-effective, and better equipped to protect public…

Press Release

Economic Growth Boosts Prosperity, not Minimum Wage Hikes

• Nathan Benefield
• November 20, 2019

November 20, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed legislation to hike the commonwealth’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour by 2022. Commonwealth Foundation Vice…

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Education

Harrisburg Children One Step Closer to the Quality Education They Deserve

• November 19, 2019

Financial mismanagement. Student violence. State receivership. FBI investigation. These are the headlines Harrisburg families have been confronting for years—even decades. That's why the House Education Committee advanced legislation, HB 1800, sponsored…

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State Budget

Pennsylvania’s Overspending: A $1 Billion-Per-Year Disaster in the Making

• Nathan Benefield
• November 15, 2019

November 15, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. — A new report from the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office projects that state government will run annual deficits around $1 billion for…

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Report Shows Govt. Union Leaders Striking Back in the States

• August 28, 2019

August 28, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.— After the Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision, government unions leaders are striking back at the state level with flurry of union-friendly bills across the country…

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Education

Statement: Gov. Wolf’s Charter Accountability Plan

• Nathan Benefield
• August 13, 2019

Today, Governor Tom Wolf will unveil his plans to alter accountability mechanisms for Pennsylvania's charter schools. However, Gov. Wolf's strategy is not as much about accountability as it is his administration's attempt…

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State Budget

Budget Spares Taxpayers, Boosts School Choice, but Leaves Much Undone

• June 28, 2019

June 28, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, lawmakers put the finishing touches on a state budget that spares Pennsylvanians from tax hikes, grows the state’s beleaguered Rainy Day Fund, and boosts school…

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Wolf Vetoes Scholarship Bill, Disparages Program His Business Supported

• June 18, 2019

June 18, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.— Today, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed HB 800, which would have expanded Pennsylvania’s popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit—a program providing private school scholarships to low- and middle-income…

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Pa. Governor to Block Education Opportunity for Thousands of Students

• Charles Mitchell
• June 13, 2019

June 13, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—According to news reports, Governor Tom Wolf plans to veto a school choice bill, HB 800, that would expand tax credit scholarships in Pennsylvania.

Press Release

Education

Momentous School Choice Expansion Lands on Gov. Wolf’s Desk

• June 11, 2019

June 11, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed HB 800, which would expand a hugely popular K-12 scholarship program, giving Governor Wolf the chance to provide a lifeline to…

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Pa. Senate Passes Momentous Criminal Justice Reform Package

• June 5, 2019

June 5, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, in a unanimous vote, the Pennsylvania Senate continued the state’s national leadership on criminal justice reform by passing a three-bill reform package. These critical reforms…

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Senate Committees Pass State Spending Limits & School Choice Bills

• June 5, 2019

June 5, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, the state Senate advanced two transformative bills: SB 116, known as the Taxpayer Protection Act, limits state spending growth to a rate Pennsylvanians can…

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Education

School Districts’ Cash Stash Tops $4.6 Billion

• May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts hold $4.6 billion in reserve funds, according the latest data available from the Pa. Department of Education. Reserves rose by $64 million in…

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Education

House Sends Major School Choice Expansion Bill to Senate

• May 7, 2019

May 7, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, in a bipartisan vote, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 800, a school choice bill that promises opportunity to thousands of students trapped…

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School Choice Expansion Bill Passes House Committee

• April 29, 2019

April 29, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.— Last year, Commonwealth Foundation research revealed that more than half of all student applications to Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs are denied. Now, lawmakers are…

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Crucial Reform Needed from Harrisburg as Tax Day Approaches

• April 11, 2019

April 11, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Tax Day may be April 15th, but Americans will be working one more day before they’ve earned enough to pay their national, state, and local tax…

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Public Union Democracy

PSEA Flouts SCOTUS Ruling, Bargains for Unconstitutional ‘Fair Share’ Fees in Teacher Contracts

• April 4, 2019

In open disregard for the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) is bargaining to impose “fair share” fees on non-union member teachers in…

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House Committee Approves Bill Notifying Public Employees of Constitutional Rights

• March 18, 2019

March 18, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the state House Labor and Industry Committee passed the  Employee Rights Notification Act (HB 785), sending it to the full House. The legislation, sponsored…

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As Wolf Holds Secret Contract Talks, State Workers Average $100,000+ in Compensation

• February 21, 2019

February 21, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—With most state employee contracts expiring in June, Gov. Wolf and government employee union leaders are negotiating behind closed doors over agreements worth more than $3…

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