Government Accountability

How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Contract Lobbyists

• Elizabeth Stelle, Jessica Barnett
• December 1, 2021

Prohibiting local governments and government agencies from diverting public funds to these associations would increase transparency and prevent taxpayers’ dollars from funding lobbying harmful to taxpayers.

Backgrounder

How to Balance the Budget: Revenue Options

• Andrew Abramczyk
• October 2, 2020

Pennsylvania’s partial-year budget to fund the government through November relied on federal emergency aid to patch a prospective deficit. The state cannot count on such extra resources in the future.

Backgrounder

Health Care

Lawmakers Push to Do Better, Rebuild Our Economy

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 2, 2020

Today the Republicans in the Pa. House attempted to override the Governor’s veto of HR 836, the bill that would end Pennsylvania’s 6-month long state of emergency and the…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Legislation Moves to Reform Licensing Laws for Citizens with Criminal Records

• Jessica Barnett
• June 16, 2020

With a unanimous committee vote, the state House has opened the door to prosperity for 3 million Pennsylvanians. This week, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee passed legislation helping incarcerated citizens…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Wolf Does What Lawmakers Want Him to Do, Just Slower

• Nathan Benefield
• May 19, 2020

The reality is this: when Wolf vetoes a bill, he often follows his veto with similar executive action later, taking credit for the changes. This has been true since he…

Commentary

Criminal Justice Reform

Pa. Senate Passes Legislation Removing Employment Barriers

• Jessica Barnett
• November 23, 2019

Individuals like Ericka Miller and Amanda Spillane are one step closer to having a fair opportunity to pursue success and live their American dream. On Thursday, the state Senate…

Media

Economic Growth Boosts Prosperity, not Minimum Wage Hikes

• Nathan Benefield
• November 20, 2019

November 20, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed legislation to hike the commonwealth’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour by 2022. Commonwealth Foundation Vice…

Press Release

Education

Conscientious Objectors to Choice

• Lenny McAllister
• November 1, 2019

Once again, the most vulnerable in our Commonwealth are in a battle without fully realizing it. That was clear to me during my testimony before the Pennsylvania Senate’s Education…

Media

Health Care

The Administrative Cost of Community Engagement Requirements in Medicaid

• Elizabeth Stelle
• October 30, 2019

This is the first in a series of policy briefs looking at the common objections to implementing community engagement requirements, or work expectations, for healthy adults receiving benefits under Medicaid…

Fact Sheet