Erin Port
Development Manager
Erin Port is the Development Manager at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Erin holds a certification in interior design from the New York Institute of Art and Design. Her professional journey began in the construction industry, where she honed her skills as a kitchen designer for two local construction companies. Additionally, Erin has more than a decade of experience in office administration.
For 25 years, Erin steadfastly supported her husband’s career in the U.S. Marine Corps. During this period, they relocated several times, moving every two to three years, both nationally and internationally.
Erin lives in Newport, Pennsylvania, with her now-retired husband and their daughter. They are also blessed with two grown sons—one currently serving in the U.S. Navy, while the other pursues his college degree in Austria.
In her spare time, Erin enjoys spending quality time with her family, baking, and seeking new opportunities to decorate her family’s newly acquired home.
Energy
Pennsylvania Stopped Costly Energy Taxes. But Government Mandates are Still Driving Up Electricity Bills.
Originally published by TribLIVE. Pennsylvania families, already struggling to afford the rising cost of living, avoided even more expensive utility bills with the recently passed state budget. When Gov.
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania Stopped Costly Energy Taxes. But Government Mandates are Still Driving Up Electricity Bills.Government Accountability
Pa. Supreme Court Protects Private Property in New Ruling
Harrisburg, Pa., July 22, 2026 — In a 7–0 unanimous decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in Punxsutawney Hunting Club v. Pennsylvania Game Commission, sided with Pennsylvania landowners and ruled against warrantless searches on open fields. Under previous case law, the open…
Press Release
Read More: Pa. Supreme Court Protects Private Property in New RulingState Budget
Pennsylvania Avoided Tax Hikes—But Only for Now
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Twelve days behind schedule—but still 110 days earlier than last year—Pennsylvania lawmakers finally passed a $52.2 billion state budget. The deal,…
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania Avoided Tax Hikes—But Only for NowRegulation
Government Intervention—not Free Markets—Made Your Housing and Healthcare Unaffordable
Originally published by PennLive. Are socialists having their moment? Recent elections and polling suggest Democrats are increasingly favorable toward socialism. Sort of. When…
Media Hit
Read More: Government Intervention—not Free Markets—Made Your Housing and Healthcare UnaffordableWelfare
Pennsylvania’s Welfare Error Rate Is High. But New Numbers Provide Hope.
Originally published by Broad + Liberty. Pennsylvania is wasting millions of dollars on overpayments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Welfare Error Rate Is High. But New Numbers Provide Hope.Education
Civics Education for America’s 250th Birthday
Summary The 250th anniversary of America’s founding provides an opportunity for parents, teachers, and students to focus on the core values and principles that shaped our nation. Civics education is…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Civics Education for America’s 250th BirthdayEducation
Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis on 2026-27 Budget Deal
Harrisburg, Pa., July 13, 2026 — Pennsylvania’s 2026–27 state budget deal is an “improvement over Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reckless proposal, but it still spends too much and leaves taxpayers facing an even larger long-term…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis on 2026-27 Budget DealEducation
Tax Credit Scholarship Myths and Facts
Summary Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), provide more than 100,000 scholarships annually to low- and middle-income K–12…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Tax Credit Scholarship Myths and FactsEducation
Pa. Lawmakers Pass 2026-27 State Budget, Blocking Shapiro’s Tax Hikes and Preserving Emergency Savings
While the deal blocks Gov. Shapiro’s worst budget priorities, spending remains a top concern. Harrisburg, Pa., July 12, 2026 — Moments ago, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a state budget deal, twelve days past the deadline. The deal totals $52.2 billion, more than a billion dollars less than Gov. Josh Shapiro’s record spending proposal,…
Press Release
Read More: Pa. Lawmakers Pass 2026-27 State Budget, Blocking Shapiro’s Tax Hikes and Preserving Emergency SavingsEducation
What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 State Budget Deal
Summary Pennsylvania’s 2026–27 state budget deal is an improvement over Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reckless proposal, but it still spends too much and leaves taxpayers facing an even larger long-term structural…
Backgrounder
Read More: What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 State Budget DealWelfare
Welfare-to-Work Solutions Will Help Pennsylvanians Escape Poverty
Originally published by The Center Square. Pennsylvania has a welfare problem. And if Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration don’t get their act together, it will…
Media Hit
Read More: Welfare-to-Work Solutions Will Help Pennsylvanians Escape PovertyEducation
Why Are Kids Falling Behind in PA?
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. By most measures, Pennsylvania has invested more in public education than ever. However, despite increased spending, academic achievement has flattened, leaving many…
Media Hit
Read More: Why Are Kids Falling Behind in PA?
Why Teachers Unions Fear—and Fib About—New Federal Program
Originally published by the Washington Examiner. The teachers unions are scared and desperate these days. How else do you explain the spectacle of …
Media Hit
Read More: Why Teachers Unions Fear—and Fib About—New Federal ProgramEducation
Deficit Watch: July 2026
Background Pennsylvania continues to face serious fiscal challenges. The enacted 2025–26 General Fund budget created a $4.6 billion structural deficit. Gov. Josh…
Deficit Watch
Read More: Deficit Watch: July 2026Regulation
The Hidden Cost of Pennsylvania’s Zoning Laws: Fewer Babies, Fewer Residents, Less Prosperity
Originally published by PennLive. Keystone State leaders often bemoan “brain drain,” the loss of skilled, working-age residents through domestic migration to other states.
Media Hit
Read More: The Hidden Cost of Pennsylvania’s Zoning Laws: Fewer Babies, Fewer Residents, Less ProsperityHealth Care
Welfare Reform That Works: Reducing Waste, Fraud, and Dependency
Summary Pennsylvania’s labor force is expanding, Medicaid enrollment is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and fewer Pennsylvanians depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Administering Medicaid work requirements without abusing…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Welfare Reform That Works: Reducing Waste, Fraud, and DependencyEducation
How Shapiro Turned on School Choice
Originally published by The Washington Times. With the Fourth of July right around the corner, Pennsylvanians should be celebrating, but instead, many low- and middle-class…
Media Hit
Read More: How Shapiro Turned on School ChoiceEducation
Democratic Lawmakers on the Wrong Side of Educational Choice
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Democratic lawmakers—specifically, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania House Democrats—are feeling the heat after waging a losing battle on an issue that is…
Media Hit
Read More: Democratic Lawmakers on the Wrong Side of Educational ChoiceHealth Care
Personal Option Needed
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Editorial Board is right: Washington is failing patients. But a public option would only make…
Media Hit
Read More: Personal Option NeededEducation
Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Republicans for Advancing Tax Relief and Expanding Educational Opportunity
Harrisburg, Pa., June 25, 2026 — Today, the Pennsylvania Senate, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 44 to 6, advanced House Bill 1667, legislation that delivers meaningful tax relief to families and businesses while also expanding access to educational scholarships for thousands of students across the commonwealth. The Senate’s legislative…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Republicans for Advancing Tax Relief and Expanding Educational OpportunityEducation
NEW ANALYSIS: Public School Enrollment Declines as State Spending Climbs
CORRECTION: A previous version of this release incorrectly stated enrollment data. The correct figure is as follows: “Today, there are 80,708 fewer K–12 students in Pennsylvania’s district schools than in…
Press Release
Read More: NEW ANALYSIS: Public School Enrollment Declines as State Spending Climbs