Government Accountability

Something Pennsylvania Government Does Pretty Well

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 19, 2015

A new report on state spending transparency websites gives Pennsylvania’s site—PennWatch—a solid ‘B’ grade. Created through legislation passed in 2011, PennWatch offers data—down to the “checkbook level”—on state…

Media

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Education

House Expands Indispensable Scholarship Programs

  • James Paul
  • May 12, 2015

In a sweeping, bipartisan vote, members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved a substantial increase to the state’s cherished scholarship programs—the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC)…

Media

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Education

Important Education Bills Advance in House

  • James Paul
  • May 4, 2015

In a promising move for Pennsylvania students, the House Education Committee passed two important bills today that will keep effective teachers in the classroom and expand educational options.  HB 805,…

Media

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Education

Win for Transparency in Public School Spending

  • Priya Brannick
  • January 22, 2014

How would you like to know what’s in a teachers’ contract before your school district passes it—and locks in spending—for four years? And how would you like to track how…

Media

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Health Care

Lawmakers Stand up for Taxpayers, Reject Medicaid Expansion

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 2, 2013

Yesterday, 108 House Representatives voted to protect taxpayers from an expansion of the broken and unaffordable Medicaid program. You can thank them here. Medicaid expansion is an optional part of…

Media

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Education

Compromise Would Save Kids, Taxpayers

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • June 12, 2012

Politics is the art of compromise, they say. When you have to get at least 102 out of the 203 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to agree on…

Media

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Health Care

CF Joins More than 400 State Lawmakers in Brief on Health Care Law

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2012

The Commonwealth Foundation joined 17 other organizations and 333 state legislators from across the country in an amicus curiae brief challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act passed…

Media

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Government Accountability

Government Transparency in Pennsylvania Becomes a Reality

  • Priya Brannick
  • July 13, 2011

The last few months saw immense partisan animosity and demeaning comments during numerous spats under the Capitol Dome.  But amid the fiscal fist fights over school choice, a natural gas…

Commentary

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Education

Corbett’s First Inning Scorecard

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 6, 2011

July signals the coming of two breaks in Pennsylvania—Major League Baseball's All-Star break and the end of the state budget season.   Having endured his first budget as the commonwealth's chief…

Commentary

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