National Spotlight

• February 14, 2017

After the election, Commonwealth Foundation and our friends throughout the State Policy Network received national attention. Here are some of the highlights.

Commentary

Education

2015 SAT Scores

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 29, 2016

The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is an important indicator of public education quality in Pennsylvania. Currently, the commonwealth ranks 36th out of the 50 states and 3 US territories (Washington…

Media

Regulation

Is Gov. Wolf Ignoring Credit Rating Agencies?

• Nathan Benefield
• January 4, 2016

Last week, Gov. Wolf once again resorted to defending his latest budget vetoes citing the fear of credit rating downgrades. Oddly, he seems to miss that pension reform and…

Media

Wolf Wrong About Pensions & Downgrades

• Nathan Benefield
• July 14, 2015

Over the past week, Gov. Tom Wolf has been defending his vetoes of the state budget, pension reform, and liquor privatization, noting that rating agencies have been downgrading Pennsylvania’s…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pa. Job Growth Triples National Rate

• Nathan Benefield
• October 22, 2012

Last week saw the release of September state jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Media coverage of this jobs report focused on the unemployment rate only, which…

Media

Regulation

Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy

• September 19, 2012

Testimony of Katrina M. Currie to Pennsylvania House Finance Committee, September 19, 2012 Good afternoon, my name is Katrina Currie; I am a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s…

Testimony

Regulation

States Tap Public-Private Partnerships in 2011

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 27, 2012

Public-private partnerships aren’t just for roads anymore. Reason’s Annual Privatization Report, released this week, is packed with diverse examples of states leveraging the private sector to stretch tax dollars.  In California,…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Who Wants to Pay More for Electricity?

• March 6, 2012

A new study by the Manhattan Institute confirms that forcing states to purchase renewable energy hurts taxpayers. Pennsylvania is one of the 29 states (as well as the…

Media

We’re #1! And #4? In Lobbying, that is.

• Nathan Benefield
• October 23, 2007

Finally, Pennsylvania ranks first in something – unfortunately, it is a dubious honor. The ranking is “most money spent on federal lobbying” by state and local governments. The great…

Media