Nobody to Blame but Himself

  • Common Sense Weekly
  • July 3, 2025

Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation’s weekly news roundup of policy issues debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.Have you seen our recent social media videos?…

Blog

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Energy

Pennsylvania’s Muddled Leadership Loses to Ohio and West Virginia

  • Gordon Tomb
  • June 27, 2025

Originally published by TribLIVE. Pennsylvania’s nickname of the Keystone State, as variously reported, originates with the deciding vote for independence by a Pennsylvania member of the Continental Congress or in…

Media Hit

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Regulation

Prevailing Wage in Pennsylvania

  • October 7, 2024

Summary Prevailing wage law dictates the minimum wage rates paid to workers on public construction projects if the project’s estimated costs exceed a certain threshold. Pennsylvania’s threshold for prevailing wage…

Fact Sheet

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Education

The High Cost of Pa. K–12 Education Failures

  • June 28, 2024

Key Points The cost and risk of failure in our K–12 system is high. Low academic achievement is a predictor of lower lifetime incomes and higher costs for taxpayers. On…

Backgrounder

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Education

2023 PSSA Scores Highlight the Need for Educational Opportunity

  • November 27, 2023

Summary The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) released Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores from spring 2023. Test results show that fourth- and eighth-grade students struggle to…

Fact Sheet

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Energy

Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Mandates in Pennsylvania

  • Gordon Tomb
  • August 24, 2023

Key Points Studies show adopting Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) criteria is not associated with better labor or environmental regulatory compliance. Emerging studies show ESG criteria are associated with lower…

Backgrounder

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Education

Lifeline (PASS) Scholarship Program

  • August 1, 2023

Overview Lifeline Scholarships, also known as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) program, would offer an Education Opportunity Account (EOA) to any student residing in a school ranked in…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Lifeline Scholarship Program

  • June 26, 2023

Overview Lifeline Scholarships (Senate Bill 795 and House Bill 1432) offer an Education Opportunity Account (EOA) to students residing in a school ranked in the bottom 15 percent…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Education Opportunity Accounts in Practice

  • May 18, 2023

Key Points Education Opportunity Accounts (EOAs) are transformative, flexible-use accounts funded by state tax dollars.Program Administration: The Pennsylvania Treasury is the ideal administrator at the state level and may contract…

Backgrounder

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