Elizabeth Stelle
Vice President of Policy
Elizabeth leads the organization’s research and policy initiatives, focusing on expanding freedom and prosperity in Pennsylvania. Since joining the organization in 2008, she has researched and written extensively on education, energy, the state budget, and healthcare policy.
Her work has contributed to significant policy victories in Pennsylvania, including blocking tax increases, expanding educational-choice opportunities, and enacting a constitutional amendment to strengthen checks on executive power.
A frequent media commentator, Elizabeth’s analysis has appeared in Pennsylvania newspapers, radio, and television outlets, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as in national outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal.
She is a former America’s Future chapter chair and remains active in her community by volunteering with local nonprofits and serving as a foster parent. Elizabeth holds a degree in history from Grove City College and makes her home in the Pittsburgh area with her husband and four children.
State Budget
Welfare Sec. Alexander Discusses Mending the Safety Net on the BOX
On the latest edition of The BOX, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander takes time to discuss proposed welfare reforms. Despite accusations of wanting to “throw the…
Media
Read More: Welfare Sec. Alexander Discusses Mending the Safety Net on the BOXRegulation
Lottery Contract Could Make Everyone a Winner
The lottery is on the minds of those in Harrisburg this week, but it has nothing to do with the $656 Mega Millions jackpot won by three lucky ticket…
Media
Read More: Lottery Contract Could Make Everyone a WinnerEducation
Education Spending: The Rest of the Story
Since Gov. Corbett's budget proposal, those who profit from Pennsylvania's $26 billion a year public school system have been gnashing teeth over what they claim is an "underfunding" of the…
Commentary
Read More: Education Spending: The Rest of the StoryState Budget
Human Services Programs Must Deal with Wasteful Spending
Last week, you couldn’t swing a dead cat in the state capitol without hitting someone protesting Gov. Corbett’s welfare spending reductions. The governor proposed combining six human service line items, such…
Media
Read More: Human Services Programs Must Deal with Wasteful SpendingTaxes & Economy
Chart of the Day: Welfare Overlap
The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) encompasses much more than Food Stamps and Medicaid. There are numerous federally-funded and state-only aid programs. In fact, most of the 2.7 million…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Welfare OverlapHealth Care
PPACA Will Put a Quarter of Pennsylvanians on Medicaid
There is no shortage of media coverage marking PPACA’s two year anniversary, but one statistic from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare did grab my attention: Instead of…
Media
Read More: PPACA Will Put a Quarter of Pennsylvanians on MedicaidEducation
No School Tax Referendums in Pennsylvania this Year
Remember the gnashing of teeth over “cuts” in state education subsidies (driven by the end of federal stimulus money)? The education establishment and partisan critics of Gov. Corbett insisted this…
Media
Read More: No School Tax Referendums in Pennsylvania this YearRegulation
Is Corporate Welfare for Shell Cracker Good for PA?
Astute readers may remember that last month Pennsylvania earned the dubious distinction of the highest taxes for mature businesses and the second highest taxes for new businesses. So how…
Media
Read More: Is Corporate Welfare for Shell Cracker Good for PA?Regulation
House Passes Corporate Welfare Reform
This week the Pennsylvania House passed RACP (pronounced RCAP) reform by a wide margin of 184 to 9. RACP – the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program – is a political…
Media
Read More: House Passes Corporate Welfare ReformState Budget
Chart of the Day: Welfare Spending
Total welfare spending in Pennsylvania more than tripled from 1991 to 2012, rising 227 percent. During the same period (1991-2011) population rose by a paltry 6.7 percent. It goes without…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Welfare SpendingState Budget
5 Scary Facts about Pennsylvania’s Welfare Spending
Welfare spending in Pennsylvania is out of control. The Department of Public Welfare is now the largest department in the state. It will continue to crowd out education, environmental…
Media
Read More: 5 Scary Facts about Pennsylvania’s Welfare SpendingEducation
Exposing Two Class Size Myths
The Patriot-News reports that while schools in the mid-state have laid off some employees, most districts are still below the national average student-teacher ratio of 15.1. The student-teacher ratio…
Media
Read More: Exposing Two Class Size MythsRegulation
Goodbye Gus, Hello Private Partnerships
Say goodbye to the second-most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. Not having Gus in Pennsylvania lottery commercials will save $140,000. But changes in the state lottery may not end with dropping…
Media
Read More: Goodbye Gus, Hello Private PartnershipsEducation
Busting the Myth That State Subsidies Prevent College Tuition Rising
Universities consistently blame state budget cuts for rising tuition, but in reality, tuition has risen regardless of state subsidies. Here’s…
Media
Read More: Busting the Myth That State Subsidies Prevent College Tuition RisingHealth Care
Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in Pennsylvania
Government welfare, with its goal to provide a helping hand to those in need, has instead become a vast series of programs that fall far short of the good intentions…
Report
Read More: Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in PennsylvaniaPublic Union Democracy
House Moves Unemployment Compensation Reform
More Unemployment Compensation reform is moving through the Pennsylvania House. Yesterday, HB 1754 sponsored by Rep. Ron Miller, and HB 1852 sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove, cleared the…
Media
Read More: House Moves Unemployment Compensation ReformRegulation
Reforming State Borrowing for Corporate Welfare
Since 1986, state lawmakers have authorized more than $4 billion in borrowing for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (or RACP). This is effectively debt for corporate welfare and…
Media
Read More: Reforming State Borrowing for Corporate WelfareEducation
Budget Cuts Do Not Equal Tuition Hikes
Last year we highlighted waste in public higher education, such as Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s golf simulator with 52 different golf courses and Penn State’s decision to construct new…
Media
Read More: Budget Cuts Do Not Equal Tuition HikesWelfare
Even Big Government Advocates Understand the Welfare Trap
Big government lobbyists and CF don’t agree on much with welfare, but funnily enough, even they acknowledge that Pennsylvania’s welfare system keeps people in poverty. It [a food…
Media
Read More: Even Big Government Advocates Understand the Welfare TrapTaxes & Economy
The “Facts” on Food Stamps
City Paper contributor Daniel Denvir tries to diminish the impact of our Philadelphia Inquirer column on food stamps by offering “facts” in rebuttal. Unfortunately, most of these “facts”…
Media
Read More: The “Facts” on Food StampsTaxes & Economy
SNAP Back to Reality, Senators
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate Democrats’ Twitter, @PaSenateDems, comes some high-stakes rhetoric during a Capitol press conference today. In reaction to the Pa. Department of Public Welfare’s decision to reapply…
Media
Read More: SNAP Back to Reality, Senators