Energy

Op-Ed: Pennsylvania should keep fracking and oil as pro-energy policies

• Kevin Mooney
• October 28, 2020

The Keystone State is also the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas, third-largest producer of coal, 16th-largest producer of crude oil, and third-largest producer of electricity in general, according to…

Commentary

Regulation

Help Restaurants by Privatizing the PLCB

• Elizabeth Stelle
• October 26, 2020

Clearly, Gov. Wolf looks out of touch—and perhaps he knows it. Last week, following his veto, he released a proposal to waiver license fees collected by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)…

Fact Sheet

Should COVID-19 Keep Schools Closed? Weighing the Risks

• Marc LeBlond, Stefanie Mason
• October 23, 2020

As the dialogue about returning kids to in-person instruction continues around the state and country, it’s critical to for parents, teachers, and administrators to take into consideration the data on…

Commentary

Op-Ed: The Tax Bill Benefitted All Pennsylvanians. Will that Matter on Election Day?

• Nathan Benefield
• October 23, 2020

To be sure, these numbers preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and economic lockdowns, which devastated job growth and earnings. Pennsylvania hit its lowest unemployment rate ever in 2019, but then skyrocketed to…

Commentary

Philly PD—and all public employees in Pa.—need transparency and accountability

• Jessica Barnett
• October 23, 2020

Philadelphia City Council recently approved an accountability measure for police union contract negotiations, prompting praise from good government officials and a lawsuit from the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5…

Media

Education

Op-Ed: Pennsylvania’s Catholic Schools Face Uncertainty in the Pandemic Era

• Colleen Hroncich
• October 22, 2020

In a shutdown-induced economic downturn, however, many can’t afford private school tuition, and the donations that kept Catholic schools afloat are dropping off. About 150 Catholic schools nationwide have closed permanently…

Commentary

Op-Ed: Schuylkill County and coal country keep Pa. politics unpredictable

• Charles F. McElwee
• October 22, 2020

Schuylkill’s “Outs” are all in for Trump in a county that has markedly declined since O’Hara’s stories. In northern Schuylkill, a conveyor over Route 54 declares in black letters: “Coal…

Commentary

And Then What? Reforms Beyond the Current Budget

• Andrew Abramczyk
• October 22, 2020

In any case, the budget will get balanced. For Pennsylvanians, the real question is: “And then what?” Pennsylvania’s budget problems preceded the virus shutdown and will continue long after it without real reform. Listed below are areas where lawmakers…

Backgrounder

Nurse Practitioners Are the Heroes Our Healthcare Needs

• Tirzah Duren
• October 16, 2020

Through HB 100, a pilot program would duplicate this year’s rule suspension within the limits of location- and population-based Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), a federal designation of provider shortages.

Commentary