Staff

State Budget

Santa Claus Budgeting

• Nathan Benefield
• December 21, 2015

With Christmas fast approaching, children are busy creating wish lists for Santa Claus. While most kids eventually outgrow a belief in Santa — and realize it’s their family buying their…

Commentary

Regulation

Government Liquor is a Liability

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 18, 2015

Liquor privatization came dangerously close to reality this year with a true privatization plan passing both houses of the legislature in June only to be stonewalled by the governor. So…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Latest Wolf Tax Plan Eliminates 6,500 Jobs

• James Paul
• December 18, 2015

If Gov. Wolf succeeds in raising Pennsylvania’s personal income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.30 percent (an increase of 7.5 percent in the rate), what will be the impact on…

Media

State Budget

Lawmakers Must Reject Tax Hike of Christmas Past

• December 18, 2015

Lawmakers Must Reject Tax Hike of Christmas Past New Tax Plan Would Hit Working Families of all Income Groups December 18, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Nearly six months into…

Press Release

Public Union Democracy

Tax Hike of Christmas Past?

• Matthew Brouillette
• December 17, 2015

Given the rumblings of an imminent vote on higher income taxes, it's important to remember what happened 12 years ago (nearly to the day!) with our state budget. Ed Rendell was…

Media

One Idea that’s Changing the World

• December 17, 2015

The world has made astounding progress in the last few decades, with world poverty dropping by more than 80 percent in just 36 years. While the dramatic reduction is…

Media

What’s in the Latest Tax Hike Plan?

• December 17, 2015

Editors Note: updated (12/18) to reflect recent developments As reported by ABC 27 and others, Pennsylvania House leaders will hold a vote on an estimated $1.8 billion tax…

Media

Education

Wolf’s School Funding Cuts

• James Paul
• December 16, 2015

In a nutshell, Gov. Tom Wolf’s guiding philosophy on education reform is to spend more money on public schools. Embracing the repeatedly-debunked myth of education cuts under the previous…

Media

Government Accountability

State Budget Should Consider Pa. Freedom Index

• December 16, 2015

State Budget Should Consider Pa. Freedom Index Commonwealth Ranks Mediocre 21st in Economic Freedom  December 16, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Pennsylvania may be home to the cradle of liberty, but…

Press Release

Health Care

Celebrating Crummy Care

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 15, 2015

Midnight is the enrollment deadline for the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who want to remained insured through healthcare.gov. To no one's surprise, the rush to enroll has led to another…

Media

Regulation

House Pension Compromise Is Step in Right Direction

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 15, 2015

The pension reform bill is quickly making its way through the Pa. House. The latest iteration, SB 1071, mirrors the Senate's version (SB 1082; read our summary here),…

Media

State Budget

Spending Increases in the “Framework Budget”

• Nathan Benefield
• December 15, 2015

As pointed out yesterday, one of the six sticky items in the Pennsylvania budget negotiations is how much taxpayer money to spend. The $30.788 billion “framework budget” passed by…

Media

Is Pennsylvania’s Income Tax Too Low?

• December 14, 2015

Is an income tax hike in Pennsylvania’s future? Over the weekend, Charles Thompson of PennLive reported on the possibility, citing multiple sources who would not rule out a personal…

Media

State Budget

Six Unresolved Issues in PA Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• December 14, 2015

The PA House is back in session this week, “sorting through hundreds of pages of legislation” related to the state budget. As Bob points out, while passing a…

Media

State Budget

Crisis Budgeting Isn’t Governing

• December 13, 2015

By vetoing budget after budget, denying funds to schools and nonprofits, and even holding up scholarships for low-income students to attend schools of their choice, Gov. Wolf has done…

Media

Senate’s Watered-Down Wine Plan: A Missed Opportunity

• December 10, 2015

Last night, the Senate Law and Justice Committee advanced legislation making modest changes to Pennsylvania's irrational alcohol laws. The good: Limited wine expansion. Establishments with a restaurant or…

Media

Are WAMs Back in the Budget?

• December 9, 2015

Bad news for good government: After reforms a few years ago eliminated “WAMs” in the state budget, these discretionary funds seem to have been resurrected. On Monday, the state Senate…

Media

State Budget

Senate Budget Hides Millions in ‘Walking-Around Money’

• December 9, 2015

Senate Budget Hides Millions in ‘Walking-Around Money’ Budget Plan Flush with Slush Fund Increases December 9, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—The state Senate’s $30.8 billion budget plan rushed through Monday…

Press Release

State Budget

House Budget Lives within Taxpayers’ Means

• December 8, 2015

House Budget Lives within Taxpayers’ Means $30.3 Billion Plan Avoids Overspending & Excessive Taxation December 8, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Yesterday, the Senate rushed through a $30.8 billion budget that…

Press Release

Regulation

Latest Pension Bill a Mixed Bag

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 8, 2015

Yesterday the State Senate passed a revised pension reform bill (SB 1082) including a side-by-side hybrid, with a smaller defined benefit pension and a defined contribution…

Media

State Budget

5 Ways the Seant’s ‘Wolf-Lite’ Budget Will Disappoint Taxpayers

• December 7, 2015

5 Ways Senate’s ‘Wolf-Lite’ Budget Will Disappoint Taxpayers Walking-Around Money Gets Big Boost in $30.8 Billion Budget December 7, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Today, the state Senate passed a $30.8…

Press Release