Taxes & Economy

Minimum Wage 

  • August 5, 2025

Summary Findings by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) show that less than one percent of Pennsylvania workers (47,200) earn the minimum wage or…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Persistently Dangerous Pennsylvania Public Schools

  • Rachel Langan
  • August 4, 2025

Calculating danger based only on arrests ignores student safety. Overview New analysis by the Commonwealth Foundation shows that Pennsylvania violates state and federal law by failing to identify persistently dangerous…

Backgrounder

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Public Union Democracy

Government Union Political Spending in Pennsylvania’s 2023–24 Election Cycle

  • Andrew Holman
  • April 15, 2025

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

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Health Care

How to Help Pennsylvanians Prosper with Medicaid and SNAP Reform 

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 1, 2025

Work requirements, strengthening eligibility verification, and prioritizing traditional enrollees will lead to better outcomes. Summary The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid programs are intended to help adults increase…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Pennsylvania Education Myths

  • March 5, 2025

Summary Conversations about education in Pennsylvania are fraught with myths, including the notions that Pennsylvania public schools remain underfunded, nonpublic options and school choice programs lack accountability, private schools only…

Fact Sheet

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Government Accountability

Election Reform in Pennsylvania

  • November 25, 2024

Summary Ahead of the 2020 election, Pennsylvania allowed no-excuse mail-in voting for the first time. Officials overwhelmed with millions of ballot requests, last-minute state guidance, and litigation resulted in delayed…

Fact Sheet

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Energy

Assessing Gov. Tom Wolf’s Tenure

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 12, 2023

Key Points During Gov. Tom Wolf’s eight years in office, Pennsylvania ranked below the national average in income growth, job growth, and population growth.State government spending increased significantly under Wolf,…

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Government Accountability

How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract Lobbyists

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Jessica Barnett
  • December 1, 2021

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

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