Matt Brouillette’s Career at Commonwealth Foundation

Matt Brouillette announced his resignation from the Commonwealth Foundation effective June 30, 2016. The CF team wishes him all the best in his new endeavor as we look back at some of the milestones throughout his CF career.
 

February 1, 2002 – Matt Brouillette becomes president of the Commonwealth Foundation. CF is a staff of three and had revenue of $350,000 the year prior.

December 23, 2003 – A long budget impasse comes to a destructive close: Gov. Rendell signs into law a budget with a 10% increase in income taxes.

July 7, 2005 – The General Assembly passes an illegal, middle-of-the-night pay raise that ignites a taxpayer revolt.

November 16, 2005 – Gov. Rendell signs a repeal of the pay raise after a near unanimous vote for repeal.

Jan – Nov 2006 – 32 incumbent state legislators decide to retire, 17 more are defeated in primaries (including the President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the Senate), and seven more are defeated in November.

2009 – CF launches “Yes, We Can!” balance the budget and “We Agree!” with Pres. Obama’s statement, “In an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.” In the Capitol Rotunda, CF posts a daily checklist of committed lawmakers. This effort is key to defeating Gov. Rendell’s $1.5 billion personal income tax increase.

January 7, 2009 – Matt makes first mention of ‘paycheck protection’ in a commentary.
 

March 7, 2009 – CF hosts a Harrisburg Tea Party with hundreds of angry taxpayers joining Matt on the Capitol steps.

April 9, 2010 – Matt hires now Executive Vice President Charles Mitchell.

June 30, 2011 – Gov. Corbett signs the first budget in more than 40 years to reduce spending.

June 30, 2011 – Gov. Corbett signs into law a government transparency bill that brings more light to state spending—a CF goal for three years.

Oct 16, 2012 – CF joins a transpartisan coalition led by former Gov. George Leader to support real corrections reform, right now. Legislation unanimously passes.

June 30, 2012 – Pennsylvania’s revolutionary EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) school choice program is expanded—a “massive school choice victory” according to the Cato Institute.

March 21, 2013 – First full vote on liquor privatization in the 80 years since Prohibition. The House passes it.

Jun 23, 2014 – House State Government Committee passes paycheck protection.

March 3, 2015 – Gov. Wolf’s first budget address, in which he proposes the largest tax hike in state history—a whopping $4.6 billion spending increase.

October 14, 2015 – The Senate passes paycheck protection.

March 23, 2016 – Gov. Wolf announces he will let the 2015-16 budget bill become law. The budget contains no tax hikes.

April 5, 2016 – Matt announces his resignation from CF, now a team of 18 with a budget of more than $4 million and offices in Harrisburg and King of Prussia.