Research

Education

Pennsylvania School Funding

• June 23, 2022

Fact Sheet

Prosperity

2022 Pa. Budget Checklist

• June 17, 2022

Limit Spending to Help Pennsylvanians Cope with Inflation Record inflation caused by federal overspending is hitting Pennsylvanians hard. Inflation is up 8.6 percent from last year and…

Fact Sheet

Education

Pa. Education Spending Soars to All-Time High

• June 9, 2022

Key Points Pennsylvania school district spending per student increased to $19,900 in 2020–21.State support of public education is up 40 percent over the last decade, reaching an all-time high of…

Backgrounder

Education

HB 2169: Lifeline Scholarship Program

• June 1, 2022

Overview The Pennsylvania House passed the Lifeline Scholarship Program bill on April 27, 2022. House Bill 2169, if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, offers an…

Fact Sheet

Prosperity

The PLCB’s Boondoggles

• March 7, 2022

PLCB History In 1933, four days before the end of Prohibition, then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot established the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). Pinchot created the PLCB to fill the regulatory…

Fact Sheet

Prosperity

A Brief History of Gov. Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike Proposals

• March 7, 2022

Key Points Wolf proposed or supported 14 tax hike proposals. Twelve were stopped.Wolf’s proposals contained 52 individual tax increases.If Wolf’s first and most expansive tax proposal had come to fruition,…

Fact Sheet

Prosperity

Liquor Privatization Constitutional Amendment

• March 7, 2022

The Constitutional Amendment Process House Bill 2272 proposes an amendment to Article 3, Section F of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania stating, “The Commonwealth shall not manufacture…

Fact Sheet

Prosperity

Taxpayer Protection Act: Facts & Myths

• March 3, 2022

Summary The Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) controls the growth of state spending by tying budget increases to the average rate of inflation and population growth. Moreover, the TPA requires a…

Fact Sheet

Fairness

Why Pennsylvania Needs Wisconsin-Style Government Union Reform

• Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
• February 24, 2022

Key Findings Government unions have enormous political power in Pennsylvania, due to a host of special legal privileges granted in state law.Government union executives use this power to trap government…

Report

Education

Opportunity Unleashed

• Marc LeBlond, Stefanie Mason
• February 15, 2022

Key Points In June 2019, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly expanded the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs by a combined $30 million. In the 2019-20…

Backgrounder

Education

Education Opportunity Accounts in Practice

• February 10, 2022

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

Prosperity

Pennsylvania’s Population Problems

• February 8, 2022

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

Prosperity

Pennsylvania Fiscal Chart Book 2022

• February 1, 2022

Eight charts summarizing how much state government spends and how to strengthen the fiscal health of the commonwealth.

Fact Sheet

Prosperity

How Government Overspending Hurts Pennsylvania Families

• Andrew Holman, Nathan Benefield
• January 31, 2022

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

Prosperity

Pennsylvania’s Stalled Economy

• January 31, 2022

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

Prosperity

2022 Pa. Budget Checklist

• January 31, 2022

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

Criminal Justice Reform

Why Pennsylvania Needs Probation Reform

• Brandon Van Dyck
• December 15, 2021

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

Government Accountability

How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to Lobby

• Elizabeth Stelle, Jessica Barnett
• December 1, 2021

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

Government Accountability

How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract Lobbyists

• Elizabeth Stelle, Jessica Barnett
• December 1, 2021

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

Prosperity

Top Unemployment Compensation Reforms for Pennsylvania

• November 3, 2021

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

Taxpayer Resources Spent on Lobbying

• November 2, 2021

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Poll