Education

More Money for Public Schools Isn’t Working

  • Rachel Langan
  • January 14, 2026

On January 12, Rachel Langan, senior education policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, testified before the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee. Rachel…

Blog

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The Myth of Increased Education Spending

  • Rachel Langan
  • January 13, 2026

Testimony of Rachel LanganSenior Education Policy AnalystThe Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy AlternativesHearing on Improving Reading Outcomes in PennsylvaniaBefore the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy CommitteeThe Honorable David Argall, ChairJanuary…

Testimony

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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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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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