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

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Pa. House Committee Passes Taxpayer Protection Bill

  • Michael Torres
  • January 13, 2021

Jan 13, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today the House State Government Committee advanced the Taxpayer Protection Act, which would put guardrails on state spending growth to protect Pennsylvanians from…

Press Release

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Earmarks Double to $120 Million in State Budget

  • Michael Torres
  • December 8, 2020

December 8, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers and Gov. Wolf used a shadowy process to bury $120 million of earmarks in the new state budget. That’s double last year’s…

Press Release

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State Halts Unemployment Payments Due to Mass Fraud

  • September 28, 2020

Pennsylvania delayed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments after a 300% increase in applications. Over 10,000 inmates were illegally submitting unemployment applications from behind bars.  Once again, the multimillion-dollar modernization project for…

Media

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COVID-19 Community Recovery Report

  • Michael Torres
  • August 13, 2020

Aug 13, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Commonwealth Foundation has released a new report outlining policy solutions that will help to rebuild Pennsylvania’s communities.  Alongside the pandemic, Pennsylvania is facing crises caused…

Press Release

Read More: COVID-19 Community Recovery Report

Wolf Reluctantly Gives In On Transparency During Emergencies

  • Michael Torres
  • July 27, 2020

Yesterday, a transparency bill requiring state and local government to continue fulfilling Right-to-Know requests under the Pa. Open Records law during emergency declarations became law without the governor’s signature.

Media

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Pa. Legislature Votes to End Gov. Wolf’s COVID Disaster Declaration

  • Michael Torres, Nathan Benefield
  • June 9, 2020

June 9, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the Pa. Legislature passed a resolution (HR 836) to end Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 disaster declaration with bi-partisan majorities in both chambers.

Press Release

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Government Accountability

Fed Data Shows Wolf’s Shutdown Caused Unemployment Spike

  • Michael Torres
  • June 5, 2020

June 5, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s shutdown was done earlier, was more expansive, and had fewer exemptions than most other states, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of…

Media

Read More: Fed Data Shows Wolf’s Shutdown Caused Unemployment Spike