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Education
Sen. Lindsey Williams supports school choice—But only for the wealthy
Originally published at The Philadelphia Tribune I don’t know what I did or said to inspire state Sen. Lindsey Williams to storm out of a recent Senate Education Committee…
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Energy
Electric vehicles are not without environmental consequences
Read More: Electric vehicles are not without environmental consequences
Education
State House Democrats need to do their jobs
Read More: State House Democrats need to do their jobs
Education
Pennsylvanians Deserve the Truth on Education Spending
Read More: Pennsylvanians Deserve the Truth on Education SpendingEnergy
Op-Ed: Was fracking to blame for Pa. Democrats’ “faceplant”?
Biden’s fossil fuel flip-flop may have saved him, but fellow Democrats took the brunt of energy voters’ ire.
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Navigating Pennsylvania’s Political Future
But future challenges aren’t limited to Democrats. In the case of Republicans, the party must listen to its growing working-class base, particularly in historically Democratic counties. In 2016 and 2020,…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Pennsylvania budget process should aid the cause of taxpayers and transparency
The Commonwealth Foundation estimates that lawmakers could transfer $345 million from shadow reserves to help meet the current budget deficit, without even affecting current spending commitments. This transfer represents less…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania budget process should aid the cause of taxpayers and transparency
“American Education Week” is About Helping Students and Families
While we’re running out of time, it’s not too late to pass this crucial support for families. Lawmakers are returning to Harrisburg for a special post-election session, and they have…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Don’t raise taxes while PA families are hurting
Months into this severe pandemic response, the economy is slowly recovering, as are state revenues, but lawmakers face a budget shortfall of at least $3 billion, according to the Independent Fiscal Office’s…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Don’t raise taxes while PA families are hurtingState Budget
Balancing the State Budget Didn’t Have to Be This Hard
If lawmakers had enacted the Taxpayer Protection Act in 2018, they would face a $770 million gap between revenues and spending. Going one step further, if lawmakers had enacted the…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Dissecting Pennsylvania’s Realignment
In Pennsylvania, Biden prevailed because enough voters in rural counties, working-class regions, and suburban towns found him inoffensive, if not appealing, during a turbulent period. Outside Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, this…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: How Pennsylvania Democrats Deliberately Stoked 2020 Election Chaos
Republicans and Democrats have long understood the problems with mass mail-in ballots. The usual stages of ballot security are lost: unlike absentee ballots, some people are claiming they received unsolicited mail-in…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: How Pennsylvania Democrats Deliberately Stoked 2020 Election Chaos
Op-Ed: Learning from Pennsylvania’s Election Chaos
We shouldn’t rely on courts to fix Pennsylvania’s election issues. Instead, changes to election timelines and processes should be enacted by the state legislature, not through executive actions or court…
Commentary
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Key Issues to Remember as Pennsylvania Counts Its Ballots
This election has sucked all the oxygen out of the room for too long. It’s a sign that government in Washington, D.C. has grown way beyond its constitutional bounds. But…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Four Places to Watch in Pennsylvania on Election Day
From upscale suburbs to blue-collar villages, Pennsylvanians will likely determine the presidential victor. Many consider this election a referendum on Trump’s pandemic-era leadership -- especially in a state where COVID-19…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: PA Supreme Court’s power grab threatens election integrity
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that Pennsylvania’s Democrat-majority state Supreme Court usurped the Legislature to tip the political scales. In 2018, the Court threw out congressional district maps passed by the…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: PA Supreme Court’s power grab threatens election integrityEnergy
Op-Ed: Drilling and Fracking Equal Jobs. Does Biden Understand That?
In the past decade, fracking enabled drillers to reach the gas trapped in that shale quickly and cheaply, creating tens of thousands of jobs in the shale and pipeline service industries alone.
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Drilling and Fracking Equal Jobs. Does Biden Understand That?
Op-Ed: I still believe America’s brightest days are ahead
The British soldier was right—only we can govern ourselves, but Walter and Peggy give hope that this American approach works. This election week, we should follow their lead, treating those…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Despite pandemic challenges, health care improvements are underway
Fixing America’s health care system will take time but the signs of progress are encouraging. If our elected leaders in Washington and Harrisburg can continue to peel back rigid restrictions,…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Despite pandemic challenges, health care improvements are underwayEnergy
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania should keep fracking and oil as pro-energy policies
The Keystone State is also the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas, third-largest producer of coal, 16th-largest producer of crude oil, and third-largest producer of electricity in general, according to…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania should keep fracking and oil as pro-energy policies
Should COVID-19 Keep Schools Closed? Weighing the Risks
As the dialogue about returning kids to in-person instruction continues around the state and country, it’s critical to for parents, teachers, and administrators to take into consideration the data on…
Commentary
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Op-Ed: The Tax Bill Benefitted All Pennsylvanians. Will that Matter on Election Day?
To be sure, these numbers preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and economic lockdowns, which devastated job growth and earnings. Pennsylvania hit its lowest unemployment rate ever in 2019, but then skyrocketed to…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: The Tax Bill Benefitted All Pennsylvanians. Will that Matter on Election Day?Education
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania’s Catholic Schools Face Uncertainty in the Pandemic Era
In a shutdown-induced economic downturn, however, many can’t afford private school tuition, and the donations that kept Catholic schools afloat are dropping off. About 150 Catholic schools nationwide have closed permanently…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Pennsylvania’s Catholic Schools Face Uncertainty in the Pandemic Era
Op-Ed: Schuylkill County and coal country keep Pa. politics unpredictable
Schuylkill’s “Outs” are all in for Trump in a county that has markedly declined since O’Hara’s stories. In northern Schuylkill, a conveyor over Route 54 declares in black letters: “Coal…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Schuylkill County and coal country keep Pa. politics unpredictable
Nurse Practitioners Are the Heroes Our Healthcare Needs
Through HB 100, a pilot program would duplicate this year’s rule suspension within the limits of location- and population-based Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), a federal designation of provider shortages.
Commentary
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