School Reserve Funds in Pandemic Times

• Stefanie Mason
• February 26, 2021

Pennsylvania school officials are projecting local tax revenue losses for the upcoming year due to the wreckage from COVID-19 restrictions. Even if local tax revenue declines, most schools have…

Backgrounder

Op-Ed: Ignore Wolf’s small business tax hike. Pass a budget that cares for kids and communities

• Nathan Benefield
• February 9, 2021

From small businesses to education, the General Assembly should enact policies that challenge Wolf’s harmful ideas. His policy agenda would leave a legacy of more government spending, higher unemployment, and…

Commentary

State Budget

Wolf’s Big, Bad Budget Leaves Families Behind

• Michael Torres
• February 3, 2021

Feb. 3, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. —Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s pre-recorded state budget address, Commonwealth Foundation Vice President Nathan Benefield, who has been studying the state budget for more than a…

Press Release

State Budget

Three Takeaways on Gov. Wolf’s 2021 Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• February 3, 2021

Our commonwealth faces a structural budget deficit. Families need education lifelines to get back on track. Small businesses need regulatory and tax relief to stay afloat. Patients need more options to access care.

Commentary

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

The Race to Rebuild: How Pennsylvania Can Bounce Back After COVID-19

• Jessica Barnett
• January 19, 2021

Pennsylvanians continue to struggle amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions. Small business owners face permanent closure, children’s schooling is in disarray, and job seekers have few prospects. Families need…

Report

State Budget

How to Balance the State Budget without Raising Taxes in a Pandemic

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 6, 2020

Reducing spending to reflect how the pandemic impacted state agencies and balance the budget without tax hikes or borrowing is the first step. Without additional structural spending changes laid out in…

Backgrounder

And Then What? Reforms Beyond the Current Budget

• Andrew Abramczyk
• October 22, 2020

In any case, the budget will get balanced. For Pennsylvanians, the real question is: “And then what?” Pennsylvania’s budget problems preceded the virus shutdown and will continue long after it without real reform. Listed below are areas where lawmakers…

Backgrounder

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