Robert O’Donnell
Education Senior Fellow
The Honorable Robert W. O’Donnell is an Education Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation.
Bob is a Philadelphia-based attorney and a former Democratic Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As a member of the House for 19 years, Bob rose through the ranks of leadership, serving as caucus chairman, majority whip, majority leader, and Speaker of the House. While in public service, he developed a reputation as a thoughtful, dynamic, and intellectually honest member of the House. He has been a consistent advocate for equality of opportunity including supporting school choice throughout his tenure in the legislature.
Bob has served as a member of Public Employees Retirement Study Commission, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, the Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh, the Mayor’s Tax Budget and Advisory Committee (Philadelphia), the Chesapeake Bay Commission, the General State Authority, the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force (Philadelphia), the Millrite Council, and the Philadelphia Port Corporation Board of Directors.
He is a graduate of Temple University and its law school and attended The Hague Academy of International Law. Arcadia College and Philadelphia University awarded Bod honorary degrees, and he has received several public awards including citations from the Pennsylvania League of Cities Service and Common Cause.
Bob resides in Chestnut Hill with his wife, Dr. Donna Gentile O’Donnell.
News Release: Lawmakers Must Demand Reforms, Reject Tax Hikes to Fix Unbalanced Budget
On the last day of the state’s fiscal year, Senate leaders passed a $32 billion budget that boosts state spending by $500 million with no way to pay for it.
Press Release
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Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?
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What to Know about the Senate Budget
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ESAs Advance to Another State—Will Pa. Be Next?
This week, North Carolina became the sixth state to authorize education savings accounts (ESAs)—flexible spending accounts used by parents to customize their child’s education.
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Op-Ed: Learn from Last Year’s Budget Mistakes
Before you dismiss the budget debate as political theater, consider this: The deals hashed out in Harrisburg could blow a hole in your own budget or even strip you of…
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The start of the new fiscal year is less than two days away, but lawmakers have yet to nail down the specifics for the 2017-18 budget. Higher taxes and new borrowing…
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PA Budget: What the Constitution Mandates
As lawmakers debate the details of a new state budget, it’s crucial to remember what our state constitution requires them to do. The Pennsylvania Constitution does not require a…
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Focusing on What Matters in the Tax Credit Debate
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Welfare Reform Efforts Gain Traction
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News Release: Three Steps to Close State’s Budget Shortfall Without Tax Hikes
With a $1.4 billion projected budget shortfall for 2016-17 and just days to solve it, Pennsylvanians want solutions that won’t take even more money from their pockets. Fortunately, lawmakers and…
Press Release
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Fact Sheet: Leveraging Liquor Privatization to Balance the Budget
Last year, lawmakers loosened Pennsylvania’s monopolistic grip on wine and liquor sales with the passage of Act 39. However, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) still maintains a high…
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Is a Budget Deja Vu in Pennsylvania’s Future?
The General Assembly is floating a plan to balance the state budget with higher taxes and more borrowing, according to Charles Thompson of PennLive. Sound familiar? Lawmakers adopted…
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A Visitor’s Guide to Buying Booze in PA
Planning a dinner? Picking up a hostess gift? Here’s our handy shopping guide to keep things E.A.S.Y.* *Every Annoying Stop You have to make to get what you need.
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What the Senate ACA Repeal Plan Means for PA
A draft of the U.S. Senate GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare is out in the open. Overall, the bill is a step in right direction. The plan fundamentally…
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Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings Accounts
How do we determine if a school is succeeding? Many will point to a combination of test scores, graduation rates, and student growth. Certainly, these are important factors—but by no…
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Growing PA’s Economy through Relief, not Mandates
Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in terms of job growth (46th) and personal income growth (45th). Our unemployment rate remains well above the national average and our economy grew…
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Audio: “Rainy Day” Funds Raining on Taxpayers
School districts across Pennsylvania have stashed away millions of surplus funds for a “rainy day,” yet some continue to request higher taxes at the same time. Of course, for…
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Policy Memo: The History of Tom Wolf’s Proposed Tax Hikes
Since assuming office, Gov. Tom Wolf has persistently advocated higher taxes on working Pennsylvania families. Here's a brief history of Wolf's efforts to raise taxes. …
Memo
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News Release: Last Year’s State Budget Killed Nearly 100 Vape Shops
Facing a budget shortfall last year, lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf slapped a massive 40 percent wholesale tax on vaping products, forcing vape shop owners to pay the tax retroactively…
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Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?
Philadelphia’s new teacher contract could be so expensive as to require teacher layoffs to pay for it. But there’s another way the $395 million pact could be financed: with…
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Stop Calling for Higher Taxes
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