Giana DePaul
Press Secretary
Giana DePaul is the Press Secretary at the Commonwealth Foundation.
A proud Montgomery County native, Giana, both as a professional and academic, knows the hows of communicating policy that is understandable, responsive, and impactful to the public.
Giana graduated Summa Cum Laude from Liberty University in 2023 with a BS in Government: Politics and Policy. While at Liberty, she was part of the university’s policy journal editorial team, publishing various articles on the Tenth Amendment, the intersection of economics and public policy, and other free market ideas. Moreover, Giana gained extensive policy experience through an internship at the Heritage Foundation, a policy-writing intensive with the Hoover Institute, and her work with federal, state, and local elected officials in both campaign and official roles.
Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Giana had the honor of serving as Executive Director of the Montgomery County Republican Committee during the 2024 presidential election cycle. Her priority was to lessen the information gaps between county regulations and the everyday voter.
Giana is also a member of the 2025 class of the Anne B. Anstine Excellence in Public Service Series.
Giana now lives in Harrisburg. When she’s not writing press releases, she loves to spend time with family, visit local thrift stores, go on scenic hikes, and find the best coffee shops in town.
State Budget
PA Legislature Moves to Protect Taxpayers from Habitual Overspending
Today, the Senate State Government Committee took a positive step toward putting Pennsylvania’s finances back on solid ground by passing the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) or House Bill 110—sponsored…
Press Release
Read More: PA Legislature Moves to Protect Taxpayers from Habitual OverspendingState Budget
Time for Welfare Work Requirements
Yesterday, welfare work requirement bills HB 2138 and HB 1659 moved out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. This move ensures welfare reform will be a focus…
Media
Read More: Time for Welfare Work RequirementsEducation
Education Spending Trends 2016-17
$4.5 billion—that's the collective balance in Pennsylvania school district reserve funds. Reserve balances are at an all-time high and hold enough money to cut every Pennsylvania student a $2,860 check,…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Education Spending Trends 2016-17Regulation
Government Job Creation is a Myth
Can government create jobs? If you ask Gov. Tom Wolf, you won’t get a straight answer. On the one hand, Wolf promised Amazon millions—likely billions—in taxpayer subsidies to build a…
Media
Read More: Government Job Creation is a MythState Budget
5 Reasons We Need the Taxpayer Protection Act Now
Gov. Wolf has been pretty optimistic about Pennsylvania’s finances going into budget negotiations for fiscal year 2018-19. Although it’s true the state is not staring down a $2 billion…
Media
Read More: 5 Reasons We Need the Taxpayer Protection Act NowEducation
Scholarship Organizations Bring Educational Freedom to Thousands
Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs are lifelines for thousands of children around the state. At best, these children would be stuck in schools that aren’t meeting their education needs. At…
Media
Read More: Scholarship Organizations Bring Educational Freedom to ThousandsEducation
A Choice for All Students
Barbara “Annie” Jackson waitresses at Roxy's Café just a short walk away from the Capitol building in Harrisburg. Eight months pregnant, Annie serves steaming plates of eggs and mugs of hot coffee…
Media
Read More: A Choice for All StudentsEducation
The Truth about Education Spending in PA
Data from Pennsylvania's Department of Education refute the persistent myth that Pennsylvania public schools are underfunded. See the charts below for 2016-17 statistics on school spending, an update on where Pa.
Media
Read More: The Truth about Education Spending in PATaxes & Economy
A Career for Life: Toni’s Work Story
DuBois resident Toni Prescott Flanders knows the value of hard work. As a teenager she worked alongside her mom, who owned a restaurant. But Toni wanted more than a job.
Media
Read More: A Career for Life: Toni’s Work StoryTaxes & Economy
More Evidence Raising the Minimum Wage is Bad for Pa.
In his 2018-19 budget proposal, Governor Wolf mandates a 65 percent increase to the state’s minimum wage, from $7.25 to $12 per hour. The governor reiterated his support for this…
Media
Read More: More Evidence Raising the Minimum Wage is Bad for Pa.Public Union Democracy
Government Union Efforts to Restrict Workers’ Rights
June will bring a U.S. Supreme Court decision potentially restoring First Amendment rights to millions of public sector workers. The response from government union leaders? Schemes to continue—and further restrict—public…
Media
Read More: Government Union Efforts to Restrict Workers’ RightsRegulation
Save Nuclear Jobs with Less Government, Not Corporate Welfare
Increased production of low-cost natural gas has reduced the price of electricity to levels below which many Pennsylvania nuclear plants can compete. With about 3,000 jobs at stake, Senator…
Media
Read More: Save Nuclear Jobs with Less Government, Not Corporate WelfareEducation
Education Choice Saves Tax Dollars
Transparency in education funding and charter school reform are good ideas, yet this push for reform is being used to spread misinformation about educational opportunities. Namely, the idea that…
Media
Read More: Education Choice Saves Tax DollarsHealth Care
More than a Paycheck: Amanda’s Work Story
A mother of four, Amanda Zernell worked odd jobs – as a certified nurse assistant at minimum wage and later at Sears – to help support her family. But after…
Media
Read More: More than a Paycheck: Amanda’s Work StoryState Budget
Securing Pa.’s Fiscal Future
Balancing a budget may come naturally to many Pennsylvania families, but in Harrisburg, it’s an idea that has been recently overlooked. And given the latest federal court decision prohibiting…
Media
Read More: Securing Pa.’s Fiscal FutureRegulation
PLCB Turns to Corporate Welfare to “Strengthen” Local Producers
Everyone loves grant money, but for Pennsylvania wine makers and brewers, recent handouts from the PLCB are especially ironic. On May 16, Governor Wolf announced that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control…
Media
Read More: PLCB Turns to Corporate Welfare to “Strengthen” Local Producers
Privacy Policy
Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives operates this website and has created this Privacy Policy to inform you of our collection, use and sharing practices for information that we collect from you…
Commentary
Read More: Privacy Policy
Ignore Scare Tactics; ESAs Would Benefit All Students
On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 2, which would create Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for students in the lowest performing 15 percent of public schools. ESAs…
Media
Read More: Ignore Scare Tactics; ESAs Would Benefit All StudentsPublic Union Democracy
Paycheck Protection Primer
Paycheck protection ends the use of public resources to collect government unions’ political money. Under current law, state and local governments (including school districts) take both union…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Paycheck Protection PrimerEducation
Tax Credit Scholarships: Pennsylvania is Falling Behind
Tax credit scholarships are one of the fastest growing school choice options. These programs allow businesses or individuals to receive a tax credit for donations to approved K-12 scholarship…
Media
Read More: Tax Credit Scholarships: Pennsylvania is Falling BehindEducation
Senate Committee Passes Major Education Reform Bill
Every student deserves an education that best fits his or her unique needs. But this vision of education equality is beyond the reach of thousands of Pennsylvania families. That’s why…
Press Release
Read More: Senate Committee Passes Major Education Reform Bill