Public Union Democracy
Government Union Political Spending in Pennsylvania’s 2023–24 Election Cycle
Key Points Government unions enjoy a host of special legal privileges in Pennsylvania, which allow their executives to exert undue influence over Pennsylvania’s public policy process. Government union bosses use…
Backgrounder
Read More: Government Union Political Spending in Pennsylvania’s 2023–24 Election CycleProsperity
New Year, New Taxes in Pennsylvania
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania The new year is always a great opportunity to shed vices like smoking and binge eating. For state and local lawmakers, their guilty pleasure tends…
Media Hit
Read More: New Year, New Taxes in PennsylvaniaPublic Union Democracy
Government Union Political Spending in the 2021–22 Election Cycle
Key Points Government unions are a top interest group in Pennsylvania, spending more than $190 million on politics since 2007. Government union political action committee (PAC) spending continues to increase,…
Backgrounder
Read More: Government Union Political Spending in the 2021–22 Election CycleHealth Care
The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in Pennsylvania
Key Points More than 580,000 Pennsylvanians live in areas with a shortage of primary care professionals relative to the population. This shortage exists throughout the state but concentrates in rural…
Backgrounder
Read More: The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in PennsylvaniaEducation
Pittsburgh students need educational freedom, not more special interest funding
Pennsylvania’s leading gubernatorial candidates both support Lifeline Scholarships, a proposal to give students in underperforming schools around $7,000 in education funding. This is good news for Pittsburgh students, especially for those…
Media Hit
Read More: Pittsburgh students need educational freedom, not more special interest fundingEducation
An answer for the way COVID put our children behind
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Maria Elizabeth had to make a hard choice: send her son to a failing school in Clairton or get a second job selling…
Media Hit
Read More: An answer for the way COVID put our children behindGovernment Accountability
How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to Lobby
Prohibiting local governments and government agencies from diverting public funds to these associations would increase transparency and prevent taxpayers’ dollars from funding lobbying harmful to taxpayers.
Backgrounder
Read More: How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to LobbyGovernment Accountability
How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract Lobbyists
Prohibiting local governments and government agencies from diverting public funds to these associations would increase transparency and prevent taxpayers’ dollars from funding lobbying harmful to taxpayers.
Backgrounder
Read More: How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract LobbyistsGovernment Accountability
Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency
The 2021–2022 Fiscal Code contains at least $5.5 billion in federal and state funds earmarked for special projects across the state, up from $120 million last year. Most of this…
Backgrounder
Read More: Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency