State Budget

Pennsylvania’s Stalled Economy

• January 31, 2022

Summary In 2021, Pennsylvania lagged behind most states in recovering from the COVID-19 shutdown.Challenges like historic inflation and labor shortages will likely persist throughout 2022.This year, lawmakers can reverse these…

Fact Sheet

Pennsylvania’s Use of ARPA Funds

• Brandon Van Dyck
• September 23, 2021

ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal bill passed in March 2021. Supporters of the legislation argued that our country needed the added spending to stimulate a nationwide recovery from the…

Fact Sheet

PA’s Economic Recovery Falling Behind

• Michael Torres
• April 19, 2021

April 19, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. — Key economic indicators show that Pennsylvania is falling behind in its effort to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While our unemployment rate remains unacceptably high…

Press Release

Three Ways Pennsylvania Should Spend American Rescue Plan Funds

• April 7, 2021

How should the commonwealth use this massive surplus of federal dollars? The temptation might be to simply pay off our budget deficit. The IFO projects that over the next five…

Fact Sheet

Downsides of the Minimum Wage

• Elizabeth Stelle
• March 11, 2021

Thank you Chairman Roae, Chairman Galloway, and members of the House Commerce Committee for inviting the Commonwealth Foundation to testify on this persistent issue. I am Elizabeth Stelle, the Director…

Testimony

State Budget

Gov. Wolf’s Budget Plan & Working Families

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 23, 2021

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

New Report: Rebuilding Pennsylvania’s Economy

• Michael Torres
• January 22, 2021

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

Caring for Kids and Communities: The 2021 State Budget

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 22, 2021

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

Health Care

Struggling Small Businesses Overwhelm Govt. Lifeline

• Michael Torres
• August 12, 2020

Nearly 50,000 Pennsylvania small businesses applied for COVID relief grants from state government over the last two weeks, catching bureaucrats off guard as local businesses continue to see steep revenue…

Media