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Education
Pennsylvania’s Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth
Key Findings Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) are state tax credit programs that give thousands of low- to middle- income students access to…
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth
State Budget
EITC and Economically Disadvantaged Schools
Read More: EITC and Economically Disadvantaged Schools
Regulatory Reform: Three Ways to Jumpstart the Post-COVID Economy
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
Read More: Regulatory Reform: Three Ways to Jumpstart the Post-COVID Economy
How to Balance the Budget: Revenue Options
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
Read More: How to Balance the Budget: Revenue OptionsHealth Care
Preserving Medicaid Before It’s Too Late
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
Read More: Preserving Medicaid Before It’s Too LateHealth Care
COVID-19 Could Change the Way Pennsylvania Does Business
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
Read More: COVID-19 Could Change the Way Pennsylvania Does BusinessState Budget
Marijuana Money Can’t Fix the Budget
The dollars involved are small and legalization would create new expenses.
Memo
Read More: Marijuana Money Can’t Fix the BudgetHealth Care
Preserving Medicaid: How to Stop Shortchanging Patients and Bankrupting Taxpayers
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
Read More: Preserving Medicaid: How to Stop Shortchanging Patients and Bankrupting TaxpayersEducation
Unleashing Educational Opportunity
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
Read More: Unleashing Educational OpportunityEducation
Pa. has $1 billion in CARES aid left. Where should it go?
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
Read More: Pa. has $1 billion in CARES aid left. Where should it go?Criminal Justice Reform
Probation Reform Proposals Prioritize Public Safety and Cost Savings
The next step toward smart justice? Probation reform to reduce caseloads, prevent reoffending, produce savings, and break down unnecessary roadblocks to success.
Memo
Read More: Probation Reform Proposals Prioritize Public Safety and Cost SavingsEducation
The Race to Rebuild: How Pa. Can Bounce Back After COVID-19
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
Read More: The Race to Rebuild: How Pa. Can Bounce Back After COVID-19Regulation
Competition, Not Corporate Welfare: 3 Ways to Help All Businesses Flourish
To effectively promote economic growth and job creation, policymakers need to stop investing tax dollars in failed programs and start enacting policies that benefit a wide range of job creators.
Memo
Read More: Competition, Not Corporate Welfare: 3 Ways to Help All Businesses FlourishEnergy
Pa. Can Energize Its Energy Sector by Cutting Red Tape—Not with Industry Subsidies
This week the state legislature passed House Bill 732. The bill—designed to exempt volunteer service providers from a 1 percent realty transfer tax— now offers tax credits to the…
Memo
Read More: Pa. Can Energize Its Energy Sector by Cutting Red Tape—Not with Industry SubsidiesGovernment Accountability
5 Ways Lawmakers can Avert a COVID-19 Lawsuit Frenzy
The economy is reopening, but the threat of lawsuits from COIVD-19 exposure is just beginning.
Fact Sheet
Read More: 5 Ways Lawmakers can Avert a COVID-19 Lawsuit FrenzyPublic Union Democracy
Public-Sector Unions Two Years After Janus v. AFSCME
Two years after Janus freed workers from forced union fees, public sector employees are still fighting for greater protection.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Public-Sector Unions Two Years After Janus v. AFSCMECriminal Justice Reform
Lawmakers Move Two Key Criminal Justice Reforms
Pennsylvania General lawmakers moved two key criminal justice reform bills aimed at improving Pennsylvania’s onerous probation system and limiting the excessive burdens of a criminal record.
Memo
Read More: Lawmakers Move Two Key Criminal Justice ReformsState Budget
Strange Budget for Strange Times: 2020-2021 State Budget Overview
State assembly funds the government through November with a budget chock full of federal aid. …
Memo
Read More: Strange Budget for Strange Times: 2020-2021 State Budget OverviewRegulation
PLCB is Bad for Business
The PLCB harms Pa. businesses in an industry that has been decimated by COVID-19.
Fact Sheet
Read More: PLCB is Bad for BusinessRegulation
PLCB’s Mishandling of COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has shown the state liquor control board's inability to provide Pennsylvanian's the service the deserve.
Fact Sheet
Read More: PLCB’s Mishandling of COVID-19Regulation
Economic Aspects of Liquor Privatization
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is a highly unprofitable monopoly with extraordinary powers that have recently been used to increase prices and harm businesses.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Economic Aspects of Liquor PrivatizationGovernment Accountability
Solutions to Preventing Tax Increases in 2021
Lawmakers can respect the Pennsylvania constitution’s balanced budget amendment and act to prevent tax increases that will drive more families and businesses out of the state, further shrinking the revenue…
Memo
Read More: Solutions to Preventing Tax Increases in 2021Government Accountability
Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 3
The state government uses special entities to borrow in excess of the constitutional debt limit and make loans and guarantees that would otherwise be illegal.
Report
Read More: Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 3