Staff

News Release: Lawmakers Must Demand Reforms, Reject Tax Hikes to Fix Unbalanced Budget

• June 30, 2017

On the last day of the state’s fiscal year, Senate leaders passed a $32 billion budget that boosts state spending by $500 million with no way to pay for it.

Press Release

Public Union Democracy

Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?

• Jessica Barnett
• June 30, 2017

Government unions are rallying in Harrisburg, demanding more money from Pennsylvanians to justify an even larger state budget. It’s worth asking, how did we get here again? And what…

Media

Regulation

What to Know about the Senate Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• June 30, 2017

Late last night, the Senate unveiled its version of the spending side of a state budget. The Senate advanced the bill from the Appropriations Committee with a full floor vote…

Media

Education

ESAs Advance to Another State—Will Pa. Be Next?

• James Paul
• June 29, 2017

This week, North Carolina became the sixth state to authorize education savings accounts (ESAs)—flexible spending accounts used by parents to customize their child’s education.

Media

Regulation

Op-Ed: Learn from Last Year’s Budget Mistakes

• June 29, 2017

Before you dismiss the budget debate as political theater, consider this: The deals hashed out in Harrisburg could blow a hole in your own budget or even strip you of…

Commentary

State Budget

Lawmakers’ Choice: Bogus Budget Borrowing or Serious Solutions

• June 29, 2017

The start of the new fiscal year is less than two days away, but lawmakers have yet to nail down the specifics for the 2017-18 budget. Higher taxes and new borrowing…

Media

State Budget

PA Budget: What the Constitution Mandates

• Nathan Benefield
• June 28, 2017

As lawmakers debate the details of a new state budget, it’s crucial to remember what our state constitution requires them to do. The Pennsylvania Constitution does not require a…

Media

State Budget

Focusing on What Matters in the Tax Credit Debate

• Bob Dick
• June 27, 2017

Pennsylvania provides tax credits for film production, concerts and video games. House Bill 1519 would combine these credits into one Multimedia Tax Credit Fund. But consolidating tax credits doesn't address…

Media

Health Care

Welfare Reform Efforts Gain Traction

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 27, 2017

Tax hikes or spending reforms? That's the question before lawmakers as the annual scramble to the June 30th budget deadline proceeds. So it's no surprise lawmakers are turning their attention…

Media

Regulation

News Release: Three Steps to Close State’s Budget Shortfall Without Tax Hikes

• June 27, 2017

With a $1.4 billion projected budget shortfall for 2016-17 and just days to solve it, Pennsylvanians want solutions that won’t take even more money from their pockets. Fortunately, lawmakers and…

Press Release

Regulation

Fact Sheet: Leveraging Liquor Privatization to Balance the Budget

• June 26, 2017

Last year, lawmakers loosened Pennsylvania’s monopolistic grip on wine and liquor sales with the passage of Act 39. However, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) still maintains a high…

Media

Regulation

Is a Budget Deja Vu in Pennsylvania’s Future?

• June 26, 2017

The General Assembly is floating a plan to balance the state budget with higher taxes and more borrowing, according to Charles Thompson of PennLive. Sound familiar? Lawmakers adopted…

Media

Regulation

A Visitor’s Guide to Buying Booze in PA

• June 23, 2017

Planning a dinner? Picking up a hostess gift? Here’s our handy shopping guide to keep things E.A.S.Y.*  *Every Annoying Stop You have to make to get what you need.

Media

Health Care

What the Senate ACA Repeal Plan Means for PA

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 23, 2017

A draft of the U.S. Senate GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare is out in the open. Overall, the bill is a step in right direction. The plan fundamentally…

Media

Education

Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings Accounts

• James Paul
• June 23, 2017

How do we determine if a school is succeeding? Many will point to a combination of test scores, graduation rates, and student growth. Certainly, these are important factors—but by no…

Media

Regulation

Growing PA’s Economy through Relief, not Mandates

• Colleen Hroncich
• June 22, 2017

Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in terms of job growth (46th) and personal income growth (45th). Our unemployment rate remains well above the national average and our economy grew…

Media

Education

Audio: “Rainy Day” Funds Raining on Taxpayers

• June 22, 2017

School districts across Pennsylvania have stashed away millions of surplus funds for a “rainy day,” yet some continue to request higher taxes at the same time. Of course, for…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Policy Memo: The History of Tom Wolf’s Proposed Tax Hikes

• June 22, 2017

Since assuming office, Gov. Tom Wolf has persistently advocated higher taxes on working Pennsylvania families. Here's a brief history of Wolf's efforts to raise taxes. …

Memo

News Release: Last Year’s State Budget Killed Nearly 100 Vape Shops

• June 20, 2017

Facing a budget shortfall last year, lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf slapped a massive 40 percent wholesale tax on vaping products, forcing vape shop owners to pay the tax retroactively…

Press Release

Education

Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?

• James Paul
• June 20, 2017

Philadelphia’s new teacher contract could be so expensive as to require teacher layoffs to pay for it. But there’s another way the $395 million pact could be financed: with…

Media

State Budget

Stop Calling for Higher Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• June 20, 2017

In comments at the Pennsylvania Press Club yesterday, Sen. Jay Costa addressed the state deficit and called for tax increases. Costa said, “A year from now, someone will be standing…

Media