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.
State Budget
Gov. Wolf’s Budget Plan & Working Families
Chairman Causer and members of the House Majority Policy Committee, thank you for inviting the Commonwealth Foundation to testify on the impact of Governor Wolf’s budget proposal. My name is…
Testimony
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Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Doesn’t Have a Friend in Tom Wolf
As Pennsylvanians suffer under Wolf’s leadership, they will have a chance to force the governor to work with the legislature. This May, voters will get a say on a state…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Doesn’t Have a Friend in Tom Wolf
Op-Ed: “The Tom Wolf Show” – He pretends to help students while selling them out
Wolf’s crusade against school choice and charter schools is based on a big lie: that if only “the system” had more money, then the neediest kids would get the education…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: “The Tom Wolf Show” – He pretends to help students while selling them out
Op-Ed: Should Pa. increase education funding by raising taxes?
Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2021 budget proposal put education at its center, featuring an extra $1.5 billion for public schools paid for by raising personal income taxes. While officials say the…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Should Pa. increase education funding by raising taxes?
Op-Ed: PA Suburbs Signal a National ‘Eds-and-Meds’ Realignment
A booming “eds-and-meds” economy is fueling Wyomissing’s gradual political shift. The Knitting Mills complex, for example, houses the corporate offices of Tower Health, which oversees its flagship, Reading Hospital, but…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: PA Suburbs Signal a National ‘Eds-and-Meds’ Realignment
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Voters Fight Back Against Power-Hungry Governor Abusing Emergency Powers
Following the disastrous shutdowns in states like New York and New Jersey, lawmakers may want to emulate Pennsylvania’s constitutional remedy.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Voters Fight Back Against Power-Hungry Governor Abusing Emergency Powers
Op-Ed: Wolf’s budget hits Philly while it’s still down
Among the myriad issues currently affecting small businesses in Philadelphia, Gov. Wolf’s proposed tax increases shouldn’t be one of them.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Wolf’s budget hits Philly while it’s still down
Op-Ed: Ignore Wolf’s small business tax hike. Pass a budget that cares for kids and communities
From small businesses to education, the General Assembly should enact policies that challenge Wolf’s harmful ideas. His policy agenda would leave a legacy of more government spending, higher unemployment, and…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Ignore Wolf’s small business tax hike. Pass a budget that cares for kids and communities
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania parents challenge teachers unions in fight for children’s education
Marc LeBlond, a senior policy analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation, a free market think tank based in Harrisburg, sees an opening for parents to advance school choice initiatives.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania parents challenge teachers unions in fight for children’s education
Pa. Emergency Powers Amendment Going to People
Feb. 4, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa.,— On March 6, 2020, Gov. Tom Wolf proclaimed a disaster emergency in Pennsylvania, granting himself the extraordinary power to supersede many state laws to…
Press Release
Read More: Pa. Emergency Powers Amendment Going to PeopleEducation
Op-Ed: Pandemic Demonstrates the Value of Catholic Education
It’s tough to compete with “free” – even if your product is in high demand. That’s a lesson Catholic schools know well. In the past year, this point has been…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pandemic Demonstrates the Value of Catholic EducationState Budget
Wolf’s Big, Bad Budget Leaves Families Behind
Feb. 3, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. —Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s pre-recorded state budget address, Commonwealth Foundation Vice President Nathan Benefield, who has been studying the state budget for more than a…
Press Release
Read More: Wolf’s Big, Bad Budget Leaves Families BehindState Budget
Three Takeaways on Gov. Wolf’s 2021 Budget
Our commonwealth faces a structural budget deficit. Families need education lifelines to get back on track. Small businesses need regulatory and tax relief to stay afloat. Patients need more options to access care.
Commentary
Read More: Three Takeaways on Gov. Wolf’s 2021 Budget
Op-Ed: The dangerous legacy of emergencies like Covid-19
Recent crises show that trading liberty for security risks a permanent loss of freedom.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: The dangerous legacy of emergencies like Covid-19
Op-Ed: Checks and balances needed even during crises
Here in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has too often imposed drastic restrictions without public accountability and transparency. As it stands, the commonwealth ranks among the nation’s most restrictive states —…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Checks and balances needed even during crises
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania students are suffering from the state’s ‘epic fail’ on pandemic schooling
For now, many Pennsylvania school districts have settled on a “hybrid” approach wherein students attend school for two days but then learn remotely for the other three days. In households…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania students are suffering from the state’s ‘epic fail’ on pandemic schooling
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Will Reflect Voter Mood During Biden Presidency
In other words, suburban voters favor moderation – as the election results showed. But despite his campaign persona, Biden may already be inching closer to leftist economic policies. As Axios…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Will Reflect Voter Mood During Biden Presidency
New Report: Rebuilding Pennsylvania’s Economy
Jan. 25, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. — A new Commonwealth Foundation report proposes a series of public policies aimed at helping Pennsylvania recover from the COVID-19 economic downturn. The Race…
Press Release
Read More: New Report: Rebuilding Pennsylvania’s Economy
Caring for Kids and Communities: The 2021 State Budget
A successful recovery is not dependent on government aid; it requires education lifelines for families, regulatory and tax relief for small businesses, and health care reforms to bolster patient access…
Backgrounder
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