School Choice
The 2017-18 budget included a $10 million increase to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and enacted seniority reform, which prioritized teacher performance over seniority in layoff decisions.
During the same period, CF succeeded in getting an Education Savings Account (ESA) bill introduced in the Senate. SB 2, which passed committee in May, would provide ESAs for students in the lowest-performing schools. This is Pennsylvania’s first ESA proposal.
As a result of our continued work on school choice, legislators were able to negotiate a $25 million EITC increase;in the 2018-19 budget, the second-largest for this program. Some 15,000 students could benefit from this amount of scholarship funding. The law was also modified to allow participating businesses to sue if tax credit letters are delayed (Gov. Wolf illegally delayed letters in 2015 and 2017, causing a loss of donations).
Welfare Work Requirements
In 2018, the House passed two bills, one that reinstates work requirements for food stamps and legislation that seeks to apply work requirements in Medicaid. CF helped craft both pieces of legislation. These bills were one vote away from going to the governor’s desk. Legislative support remains strong, and there is an opportunity to pass these bills in the fall.
Criminal Justice Reform
Building off our successful 2012 efforts in criminal justice reform, CF is engaged in advancing the Justice Reinvestment Initiative II. The state Senate unanimously passed three pieces of legislation designed to streamline the parole system, reduce recidivism and increase public safety.
In 2018 lawmakers passed the landmark Clean Slate bill. CF supported this legislation to automatically seal the criminal records of individuals convicted of non-violent misdemeanors after 10 years if they are not convicted of another crime. This means greater job, education, and housing opportunities.
Pension Reform
CF waged a decade-long campaign of focused messaging, tireless communication with lawmakers, and intellectual leadership to shift away from an outdated, unaffordable pension system toward a 401(k)-style solution. This historic bill was heralded by the Wall Street Journal as a pioneering solution and Pew Charitable Trust called it, "One of the most—if not the most—comprehensive and impactful reforms any state has implemented." CF received international recognition from the Atlas Network as a finalist for the Templeton Freedom Award for our work on pension reform.
Tax Hikes
Governor Wolf’s 11th tax hike proposal, a natural gas severance tax, did not make it into the final 2018-19 budget. CF’s work over the past four years has held the line against $8.5 billion in tax hikes in Wolf’s proposed budgets. Instead, taxes increased by only $763 million, along with more than $1.5 billion in additional borrowing.
Taxpayer Protection Act (spending limits)
In December, the House passed a constitutional version of the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) and a TPA bill passed out of Senate committee, but the Senate did not hold a floor vote.
Paycheck Protection
After years of spearheading efforts to pass paycheck protection, in December 2017, SB 166, which prohibits government from collecting campaign contributions was put to a floor vote in the House. Though the bill fell short by a 90-102 vote, this was the first time paycheck protection made it to the full House.