Fairness

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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Government Accountability

How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to Lobby

  • 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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Public Sector Union 2020 Election Spending

  • Jessica Barnett
  • March 18, 2021

Public sector union political action committees (PAC) spent $16.7 million in Pennsylvania during the 2019–2020 election cycle, principally on behalf of Democratic politicians.

Backgrounder

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Op-Ed: PA Suburbs Signal a National ‘Eds-and-Meds’ Realignment

  • Charles F. McElwee
  • February 14, 2021

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

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How to Balance the Budget: Revenue Options

  • Andrew Abramczyk
  • October 2, 2020

Pennsylvania’s partial-year budget to fund the government through November relied on federal emergency aid to patch a prospective deficit. The state cannot count on such extra resources in the future.

Backgrounder

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Health Care

Top 10 Corona Virus FAQ’s for Pennsylvanians

  • April 30, 2020

Since the COVID-19 pandemic spread to Pennsylvania, we’ve been deluged with questions about what state government is doing. Below are the top 10 questions we’ve been asked with our quick…

Fact Sheet

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Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. Senate Passes Legislation Removing Employment Barriers

  • Jessica Barnett
  • November 23, 2019

Individuals like Ericka Miller and Amanda Spillane are one step closer to having a fair opportunity to pursue success and live their American dream. On Thursday, the state Senate…

Media

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50-State Labor Report: Pennsylvania Struggling on Worker Freedom

  • November 19, 2019

After the Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision, a renewed battle for worker freedom has broken out across the country. The Commonwealth Foundation’s brand-new Worker Freedom in the States report…

Commentary

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Public Union Democracy

Lawsuits by Trapped Union Members Piling Up

  • Jessica Barnett
  • April 2, 2019

Curtis Thompson loves his school, his district, and helping students succeed. He considers his job as an education aide for at-risk students in the Cumberland Valley School District “an opportunity to…

Media

Read More: Lawsuits by Trapped Union Members Piling Up