Energy
Avoiding Deadly Blackouts
Summary Pennsylvania urgently needs a plan to restore grid reliability and prevent electricity blackouts from extreme cold weather. Winter Storm Elliot in 2022 almost brought widespread blackouts, but it was…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Avoiding Deadly BlackoutsGovernment Accountability
How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to Lobby
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
Read More: How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to LobbyEducation
Research: ESAs Boost Teacher Pay, Create Jobs, and Reduce Poverty
Pennsylvania is among a dozen states pursuing education savings accounts—innovative school choice tools that empower parents to customize their child’s education. ESAs are flexible spending accounts, controlled by…
Media
Read More: Research: ESAs Boost Teacher Pay, Create Jobs, and Reduce PovertyEducation
Approaches to Property Tax Reform
Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform Good morning, my name is Nathan Benefield; I am the director of policy analysis for…
Testimony
Read More: Approaches to Property Tax ReformTaxes & Economy
State Regulators are Best Equipped to Monitor Drilling
Congress is considering the FRAC Act, legislation to transfer hydraulic fracturing oversight from states to the Environmental Protection Agency, but the EPA has already proved itself incapable of the…
Media
Read More: State Regulators are Best Equipped to Monitor DrillingTaxes & Economy
Fracking Friday
There are several good articles and studies worth reading on natural gas drilling, Marcellus Shale and fracking: Katrina’s commentary on the local impact of natural gas drilling appears in today’s…
Media
Read More: Fracking FridayHealth Care
Medicaid Reforms Needed as Welfare Spending Surpasses Education
Under Gov. Corbett’s budget proposal, Pennsylvania would spend more on welfare than education for first time. A large chunk of that welfare spending is in Medicaid, a joint state-federal program…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Reforms Needed as Welfare Spending Surpasses EducationTaxes & Economy
The Success of Electricity Deregulation in Texas
Here are some recent numbers, from our friends at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, illustrating the success of electricity deregulation. Since 2007 Texas’ electricity market has been fully deregulated…
Media
Read More: The Success of Electricity Deregulation in TexasCriminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania Corrections Spending
Facing a massive budget deficit, and with sizeable financial obligations looming, Pennsylvania needs to re-examine how taxpayer dollars are spent. Spending on the Department of Corrections has grown far beyond…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Corrections Spending