State Budget

2022 Pa. Budget Checklist

  • January 31, 2022

Limit spending growth to the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) index The total General Fund spending increase should not exceed the TPA limit of 3.46 percent, or an additional $1.376 billion.

Fact Sheet

Read More: 2022 Pa. Budget Checklist

Education

Pa. Senate Committee Passes School Choice Bill

  • January 19, 2022

January 19, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee approved a bill to expand Pennsylvania’s successful and popular tax credit scholarship programs. SB 527, sponsored by Sen. Mike…

Press Release

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Taxes & Economy

Why Pennsylvania Needs Probation Reform

  • Brandon Van Dyck
  • December 15, 2021

Pennsylvania has an overburdened probation system that delivers substandard results. The commonwealth’s recidivism rate is 41 percent—one of the highest in the nation.

Backgrounder

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Pennsylvania’s Use of ARPA Funds

  • Brandon Van Dyck
  • September 23, 2021

ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal bill passed in March 2021. Supporters of the legislation argued that our country needed the added spending to stimulate a nationwide recovery from the…

Fact Sheet

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Pa. Earmark Spending Hits All-Time High

  • Michael Torres
  • August 26, 2021

August 26, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa.— A new Commonwealth Foundation analysis shows a steep increase in earmarks in the 2021–2022 state budget. Approximately $5.5 billion in both federal and state…

Press Release

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Government Accountability

Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency

  • Jessica Barnett
  • August 19, 2021

The 2021–2022 Fiscal Code contains at least $5.5 billion in federal and state funds earmarked for special projects across the state, up from $120 million last year. Most of this…

Backgrounder

Read More: Fiscal Earmarks Reduce State Budget Transparency