Energy
State of RGGI: Past, Present, and Future
Key Points The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a multi-state cap-and-trade program that imposes a carbon tax on power generators, resulting in a new, economy-wide energy tax. Pennsylvania entered…
Backgrounder
Read More: State of RGGI: Past, Present, and FuturePublic Union Democracy
State of the Unions: Examining Union Membership in State Government
Key Findings Public sector labor unions in 33 states represent state government employees, a segment of overall public sector employment, for purposes of collective bargaining. For this research, 27 of…
Executive Summary
Read More: State of the Unions: Examining Union Membership in State GovernmentPublic Union Democracy
Public Sector Unions are Most Prominent Where Workers’ Rights are Limited
Harrisburg, Pa., March 11, 2024 — Overall union membership is declining in America, but the same is not true for public sector unions. Across the United States, 43.5 percent of state government…
Press Release
Read More: Public Sector Unions are Most Prominent Where Workers’ Rights are LimitedPublic Union Democracy
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
Read More: Government Union Contracts Increase AgainState Budget
Gov. Wolf’s Budget Plan & Working Families
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
Read More: Gov. Wolf’s Budget Plan & Working FamiliesEducation
Education Savings Accounts Across the Country
The movement to provide children with better education is building momentum in 2017 as education savings accounts (ESA) advance in nearly a dozen states. Legislation has been filed in…
Media
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Governor Wolf’s Natural Gas Tax Proposal
Governor Wolf continues to press for a natural gas severance tax despite ongoing layoffs and potential bankruptcies in the natural gas industry.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Governor Wolf’s Natural Gas Tax ProposalState Budget
Demographics Destined to Hold Pennsylvania Back?
Last year, Pennsylvania lost one person to another state every 12.5 minutes. In total, the state’s net domestic migration rate was negative: 41,607 more people moved out of Pennsylvania than…
Media
Read More: Demographics Destined to Hold Pennsylvania Back?Energy
Governor Wolf’s Proposed Natural Gas Extraction Tax
Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a new severance tax on natural gas extraction, which he claims will generate more than $1 billion annually for public schools. The proposal fails to consider…
Memo
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