Research

How to Vote in Pennsylvania

• Stefanie Mason
• March 3, 2021

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Fact Sheet

School Reserve Funds in Pandemic Times

• Stefanie Mason
• February 26, 2021

Pennsylvania school officials are projecting local tax revenue losses for the upcoming year due to the wreckage from COVID-19 restrictions. Even if local tax revenue declines, most schools have…

Backgrounder

Caring for Kids and Communities: The 2021 State Budget

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 22, 2021

A successful recovery is not dependent on government aid; it requires education lifelines for families, regulatory and tax relief for small businesses, and health care reforms to bolster patient access…

Backgrounder

State Budget

The Taxpayer Protection Act

• Tirzah Duren
• January 21, 2021

KEY POINTS Pennsylvania’s frequent budget deficits are the consequence of chronic overspending. Pennsylvanians pay $4,589 per person in state and local taxes, which equals 10.2 percent of residents’ total…

Backgrounder

The Race to Rebuild: How Pennsylvania Can Bounce Back After COVID-19

• Jessica Barnett
• January 19, 2021

Pennsylvanians continue to struggle amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions. Small business owners face permanent closure, children’s schooling is in disarray, and job seekers have few prospects. Families need…

Report

State Budget

How to Balance the State Budget without Raising Taxes in a Pandemic

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 6, 2020

Reducing spending to reflect how the pandemic impacted state agencies and balance the budget without tax hikes or borrowing is the first step. Without additional structural spending changes laid out in…

Backgrounder

Are Public Schools Underfunded?

• October 27, 2020

Pennsylvania spends more per student than the vast majority of states. Education spending has significantly increased over the past decade. Scroll down to see how much funding your district receives…

Fact Sheet

Taxes & Economy

Help Restaurants by Privatizing the PLCB

• Elizabeth Stelle
• October 26, 2020

Clearly, Gov. Wolf looks out of touch—and perhaps he knows it. Last week, following his veto, he released a proposal to waiver license fees collected by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)…

Fact Sheet

And Then What? Reforms Beyond the Current Budget

• Andrew Abramczyk
• October 22, 2020

In any case, the budget will get balanced. For Pennsylvanians, the real question is: “And then what?” Pennsylvania’s budget problems preceded the virus shutdown and will continue long after it without real reform. Listed below are areas where lawmakers…

Backgrounder

Health Care

How to Vote in PA Q&A

• Stefanie Mason
• October 6, 2020

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. In Pennsylvania, voters are navigating how to cast their ballots during this pandemic era. …

Fact Sheet

Public Union Democracy

Protecting the Rights of Pennsylvania Public Employees

• October 3, 2020

Key Points Pennsylvania state law grants unions exclusive bargaining rights in government workplaces, makes it difficult for workers to leave their union, and allows taxpayer collection of union political money.Through…

Backgrounder

Regulatory Reform: Three Ways to Jumpstart the Post-COVID Economy

• Tirzah Duren
• October 2, 2020

At the beginning of April, over 80% of small businesses were at risk of closing if the shutdown continued for five more months. As of July, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce…

Backgrounder

How to Balance the Budget: Revenue Options

• Andrew Abramczyk
• October 2, 2020

Pennsylvania’s partial-year budget to fund the government through November relied on federal emergency aid to patch a prospective deficit. The state cannot count on such extra resources in the future.

Backgrounder

Health Care

Preserving Medicaid Before It’s Too Late

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 24, 2020

Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program is a national leader in all the wrong ways. Sub-standard access to care and soaring enrollment, costs, and fraud crowd out services for people with intellectual disabilities and low-income…

Backgrounder

Health Care

COVID-19 Could Change the Way Pennsylvania Does Business

• Stefanie Mason
• September 16, 2020

Small business owners like Elvira, Jessa, and Andy deserve a fighting chance to keep their business dreams alive. That’s the only way to heal Pennsylvania’s economy.

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Marijuana Money Can’t Fix the Budget

• Andrew Abramczyk
• September 15, 2020

The dollars involved are small and legalization would create new expenses.

Memo

Taxes & Economy

Preserving Medicaid: How to Stop Shortchanging Patients and Bankrupting Taxpayers

• August 19, 2020

Pennsylvania is a Medicaid leader in all the wrong ways. Enrollment has skyrocketed beyond population growth, and the state ranks fourth in the share of the state budget consumed by Medicaid.

Report

Taxes & Economy

Unleashing Educational Opportunity

• August 14, 2020

Applying cautious estimates, this study finds that the two private school choice programs in Pennsylvania are expected to provide billions in long-run economic benefits from higher lifetime earnings, fewer high…

Report

Education

Pa. has $1 billion in CARES aid left. Where should it go?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 14, 2020

As the pandemic slows, it’s time to step back and reevaluate Pennsylvania’s remaining needs for coronavirus relief. How can our state government ensure that the citizens and businesses who most…

Fact Sheet

Criminal Justice Reform

Probation Reform Proposals Prioritize Public Safety and Cost Savings

• Jessica Barnett
• August 12, 2020

The next step toward smart justice? Probation reform to reduce caseloads, prevent reoffending, produce savings, and break down unnecessary roadblocks to success.

Memo

Education

The Race to Rebuild: How Pa. Can Bounce Back After COVID-19

• August 11, 2020

Pennsylvanians are facing some of the biggest challenges of their lifetimes. It is time for lawmakers to launch a race to rebuild Pennsylvania using the following policy solutions.

Report