Taxes & Economy
Pa.’s Population Continues Its Troubling Decline
Harrisburg, Pa., December 20, 2023 — Pennsylvania’s population continues to decline, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report showing a total loss of 10,408 residents between July 2022 and July 2023.
Press Release
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Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Appellate Court Decision to Strike Down RGGI
Harrisburg, Pa., November 1, 2023 — Commonwealth Foundation applauds the Commonwealth Court’s decision today to halt Pennsylvania’s entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The appellate court rightly ruled that entry…
Press Release
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Cutting Red Tape in Pennsylvania
This report presents findings from Mercatus Center’s State RegData database, analyzing regulations in the Pennsylvania Code as of 2022. The report provides an overview of state regulations, how Pennsylvania’s regulatory…
Executive Summary
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Government Union Contracts Increase Again
Summary Pennsylvania elected officials routinely and secretly negotiate billion-dollar labor contracts with government union leaders from whom they often receive political donations. These labor contracts are a major cost of…
Fact Sheet
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Takeaways from the Unfinished 2023–24 State Budget
Summary The state budget remains unfinished. While Gov. Josh Shapiro signed off on the general appropriation bill (House Bill 611), authorizing more than $40 billion in state general fund spending,…
Fact Sheet
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Pa. Education Funding Spikes Again
Key Points Pennsylvania school district spending per student increased to $21,263 in 2021–22. State support of public education is up 55.7 percent over the last decade, reaching an all-time high…
Backgrounder
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Minimum Wage
Summary One percent of Pennsylvania workers earn the minimum wage, an all-time low.Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Recent analysis by Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal…
Fact Sheet
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Key Takeaways from Gov. Shapiro’s 2023 Budget Address
Profligacy Exacerbates Budget Deficit Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget calls for $45.9 billion in ongoing General Fund spending and $43 billion in net state revenues (after refunds). Thus, Pennsylvania has…
Report
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Rising Electricity Costs
How High Are Electric Bills Rising? Electricity bills are rising across the commonwealth by an average of 73 percent between December 2020 and December 2022.Increases range from 55 percent for…
Fact Sheet
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