Staff

Health Care

Where Have All the Human Service Dollars Gone?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 10, 2020

Nearly half of Pennsylvania's budget goes to human services or welfare. Governor Wolf wants to increase human service spending by $1.4 billion next year. But how well are these programs…

Commentary

Regulation

Wolf’s Wage Mandates Undermine Workers

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 7, 2020

Governor Wolf's new overtime pay rules and his sixth minimum wage proposal is a one-two punch that could send our economy reeling.

Commentary

Government Accountability

Wolf’s Budget Borrows Billions and Attacks Schools of Choice

• Charles Mitchell
• February 4, 2020

February 4, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, Gov. Wolf outlined a massive spending and borrowing plan in his annual budget address. The $36.1 billion proposed General Fund Budget represents a…

Press Release

State Budget

5 Takeaways from Governor Wolf’s 2020 Budget Address

• Nathan Benefield
• February 4, 2020

Governor Wolf unveiled his sixth budget proposal today. Here are five key takeaways.

Commentary

School Choice: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters

• February 3, 2020

Lenny McAllister of Commonwealth Foundation explains why school choice matters so much to families of all backgrounds and how it can bring about a true…

Commentary

Government Accountability

Lawmakers Send Message to Wolf on Eve of Budget Address

• Nathan Benefield
• February 3, 2020

February 3, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, on the eve of Gov. Wolf’s sixth state budget address, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a much-needed fiscal reform called the…

Press Release

Education

Every Child Is Unique — That’s Why School Choice is Common Sense

• Colleen Hroncich
• January 31, 2020

No single school can meet the needs of every child who happens to live within a certain radius. No one thinks the government should assign people to a grocery store,…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Loses 54 People Every Day

• Nathan Benefield
• January 30, 2020

How long before Pennsylvania becomes one big ghost town? New Census data shows that Pennsylvania lost a net of 19,588 residents to other states in 2019—that’s a loss of 54 people…

Commentary

Education

Tax Credit Scholarships Give Families Options

• Colleen Hroncich
• January 29, 2020

National School Choice Week is a great time to celebrate the diverse educational options that are available to kids throughout Pa. But it’s also a time to focus on increasing…

Commentary

Education

Democrat Lawmaker Speaks Out for School Choice

• January 28, 2020

National School Choice Week can—and should—be a bipartisan celebration. Tennessee State Rep. John DeBerry is a Democrat who has been honored for his school choice advocacy. Here are his remarks from…

Commentary

Regulation

IFO Report: Pa. Wastes $60 Million Per Year on Underperforming Programs

• Tirzah Duren
• January 27, 2020

Fairness is such a simple concept. We’re born with it—when treated unfairly, we seek to right the wrong and restore a level playing field. But for some reason, Pennsylvania politics…

Commentary

Education

It’s National School Choice Week!

• Colleen Hroncich
• January 27, 2020

What is a "good" school? There isn’t just one definition of a “good” school because every child is unique. That’s why choice is so important. This week we’re going to…

Commentary

Government Accountability

CF Responds to Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai’s Retirement

• Charles Mitchell
• January 23, 2020

January 23, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Mike Turzai announced he will not seek reelection at the end of his term. Turzai, an outspoken…

Press Release

Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. Prison Population Plummets by Most in History — Again

• January 21, 2020

January 21, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa.—Pennsylvania’s prison population dropped by 1,495 individuals in 2019, according to new Department of Corrections numbers—the sharpest decline ever recorded. The number of incarcerated Pennsylvanians…

Press Release

Regulation

Dairy Farms Can’t Support Prevailing Wage Mandates

• Tirzah Duren
• January 17, 2020

Pennsylvania’s picturesque countryside is home to roughly 6,200 dairy farms. While the road trip through Pennsylvania is idyllic—the business climate for these farmers is far from ideal.

Commentary

Are you a Bootlegger or a Baptist?

• January 10, 2020

Did you know that you could profit off of government regulations? If not, you've been missing out. …

Commentary

The Grinch Who Stole Scholarships

• Marc LeBlond
• January 7, 2020

Every Harrisburger in the ‘Burg liked education a lot… St. Stephen’s, Bishop McDevitt, Little Learners’ for tots. And the Grinch loved education. Oh he loved it dearly! For his dear…

Commentary

State Budget

The Road to Better Infrastructure

• Tirzah Duren
• January 3, 2020

Anyone who has ever driven on Pennsylvania’s roads knows this state is filled with structurally deficient bridges—3,770 to be exact—and that the skill of artfully swerving around potholes is essential…

Commentary

State Budget

Mid-Year Budget Briefing: $779 Million Projected Overspend

• Andrew Abramczyk
• January 2, 2020

This week is the midpoint of the commonwealth fiscal year, which ends on June 30. Every year, as required by law, the Office of the Budget gives a mid-year budget briefing…

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

CF’s 2020 Vision

• January 1, 2020

The Commonwealth Foundation’s mission sounds pretty simple: transform free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish. Accomplishing that mission—with a divided government, powerful special interests, and a diverse…

Media

Education

Pension Pacman Must Be Stopped

• Andrew Abramczyk
• December 31, 2019

Next fiscal year Pennsylvania school districts will pay $4.9 billion into PSERS, the state teachers’ pension fund.1 Less than one quarter of that amount will fund new benefits earned by…

Media