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Education
Key Takeaways from Governor’s 2024 Budget Proposal
Key Points Gov. Josh Shapiro’s startling spending increases and myriad of new initiatives would explode the budget deficit and invite massive tax hikes on working families in the coming years.
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Energy
Pa. Travelers’ Guide: Summer Gasoline Prices
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Education
Education Opportunity Accounts in Practice
Key Points Education Opportunity Accounts (EOAs) are transformative, flexible-use accounts funded by state tax dollars.Program Administration: The Pennsylvania Treasury is the ideal administrator at the state level and may contract…
Backgrounder
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Pennsylvania’s Population Problems
The Problem New data[1] from the United States Census Bureau shows Pennsylvania’s population problems remain: Pennsylvania’s population decreased by 25,000 from July 2020 to July 2021. Natural population…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania Fiscal Chart Book 2022
Eight charts summarizing how much state government spends and how to strengthen the fiscal health of the commonwealth.
Fact Sheet
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How Government Overspending Hurts Pennsylvania Families
Key Points Excessive government spending and borrowing is causing record-setting inflation and severe supply chain shortages.Voters want fiscal restraint from their government.High taxes and spending are making Pennsylvania uncompetitive, costing…
Backgrounder
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Pennsylvania’s Stalled Economy
Summary In 2021, Pennsylvania lagged behind most states in recovering from the COVID-19 shutdown.Challenges like historic inflation and labor shortages will likely persist throughout 2022.This year, lawmakers can reverse these…
Fact Sheet
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2022 Pa. Budget Checklist
Limit spending growth to the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) index The total General Fund spending increase should not exceed the TPA limit of 3.46 percent, or an additional $1.376 billion.
Fact Sheet
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Why Pennsylvania Needs Probation Reform
Pennsylvania has an overburdened probation system that delivers substandard results. The commonwealth’s recidivism rate is 41 percent—one of the highest in the nation.
Backgrounder
Read More: Why Pennsylvania Needs Probation ReformGovernment Accountability
How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to Lobby
Prohibiting local governments and government agencies from diverting public funds to these associations would increase transparency and prevent taxpayers’ dollars from funding lobbying harmful to taxpayers.
Backgrounder
Read More: How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to LobbyGovernment Accountability
How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract Lobbyists
Prohibiting local governments and government agencies from diverting public funds to these associations would increase transparency and prevent taxpayers’ dollars from funding lobbying harmful to taxpayers.
Backgrounder
Read More: How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract LobbyistsProsperity
Top Unemployment Compensation Reforms for Pennsylvania
Overview Pennsylvania should reform its unemployment compensation system to pay down state debt, incentivize hiring, increase labor participation, and minimize fraudulent claims. Reforms should protect unemployment compensation for the individuals…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania’s Use of ARPA Funds
ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal bill passed in March 2021. Supporters of the legislation argued that our country needed the added spending to stimulate a nationwide recovery from the…
Fact Sheet
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Excellent Education for All Act Summary
The Excellent Education for All Act (House Bill 1) is a transformative plan that ensures more Pennsylvania children have access to an excellent education.
Fact Sheet
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Consequences of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a controversial compact designed to tax electricity producers for emitting carbon. The Wolf administration is attempting to join the initiative through regulation in…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Consequences of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)Government Accountability
Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency
The 2021–2022 Fiscal Code contains at least $5.5 billion in federal and state funds earmarked for special projects across the state, up from $120 million last year. Most of this…
Backgrounder
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Concentrating Resources on Failing Systems Instead of Students
The 2021-22 budget has the largest state education funding increase in Pennsylvania history despite public schools receiving over $6.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The funding increase includes a…
Fact Sheet
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Education Landscape in PA
Overview There are approximately 1.9 million school-age children in Pennsylvania. Around 75% attend their assigned district school. Nearly 9% attend a charter school and close to 12% attend a private…
Fact Sheet
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TEL-Tale Heart: Crafting Effective Policies to Reduce Spending
Executive Summary Increases in state spending do not result in greater prosperity for state residents, across an array of measures. In fact, increased state spending can reduce economic growth. Reducing…
Report
Read More: TEL-Tale Heart: Crafting Effective Policies to Reduce SpendingHealth Care
How Pennsylvania Is Progressing in the Race to Rebuild
The 2021 state budget includes some policy changes to spur recovery and better governance, but much more needs to occur.
Fact Sheet
Read More: How Pennsylvania Is Progressing in the Race to RebuildState Budget
2021 Budget Takeaways
Last week, the Pa. General Assembly passed a state budget deal that includes $40 billion in the General Fund budget, increases in tax credit scholarships, and a number of policy…
Fact Sheet
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School Funding Myth Busters
In the face of uncertainly due to COVID in 2020, state lawmakers flat-funded education for the 2020–21 school year. Districts also received about $6 billion in additional funding via three…
Fact Sheet
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