Research

Public Union Democracy

The Battle for Worker Freedom in the States: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws

• Andrew Holman, Priya Brannick
• September 22, 2022

KEY POINTS In the four years following the Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the nation’s four largest government unions—AFSCME, SEIU, NEA, and AFT—have lost almost 219,000 union…

Report

Taxes & Economy

Pa. Economic Trends September 2022

• September 16, 2022

Overview Families across the country continue to feel the pressure of rising prices. The Consumer Price Index is up 8.3% over the last year, and while gasoline prices have fallen…

Backgrounder

Pennsylvania Back-to-School Education Trends

• September 12, 2022

As students head back to school, there are many claims of teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. In reality, public school spending is at a record high and Pennsylvania ranks among…

Research

Government Accountability

New Numbers on Political Spending by Government Union Executives

• September 2, 2022

Labor Day is a celebration of the American worker—their contributions and achievements that make this country great. Unfortunately, many American workers are sidelined—even bullied—by organizations that are meant to represent…

Memo

Education

Pa. Back to School Education Trends

• August 26, 2022

Overview As students head back to school, there are many claims of teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. In reality, public school spending is at a record high and Pennsylvania ranks…

Report

Energy

Corporate Welfare, No Boost to Business Climate

• August 16, 2022

Summary Pennsylvania’s economy continues to struggle. In June, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate reached 4.5 percent, the fifth highest in the nation.[1], [2] As of June…

Fact Sheet

Criminal Justice Reform

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Jessica Barnett
• August 3, 2022

Key Points The Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force (Task Force) found most youth entering the juvenile justice system committed low-level offenses and are “low risk to reoffend.”[1]Studies…

Backgrounder

State Budget

What to know about the 2022 state budget deal

• July 7, 2022

Pennsylvania lawmakers today unveiled the next fiscal year’s state budget plan. The Bad News: This budget represents excessive growth in government spending, increasing state spending by 10.7 percent over last…

Memo

Health Care

Medicaid’s Endless Expansion

• Elizabeth Stelle, Stefanie Mason
• July 5, 2022

Key Points Medicaid enrollment has surged, increasing by more than one million since 2015.[1] The program now covers more than one-quarter of all Pennsylvanians.Medicaid is the largest program…

Backgrounder

Teacher Union Collective Bargaining Agreements 4 Years Post-Janus

• Andrew Holman
• June 27, 2022

On June 27, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Janus v. AFSCME. The court ruled that public-sector employees no longer had to financially support a…

Memo

Education

Pennsylvania School Funding

• June 23, 2022

Fact Sheet

State Budget

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

Regulation

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

Taxes & Economy

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

Regulation

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

Taxes & Economy

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

Public Union Democracy

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