Commentary

Should COVID-19 Keep Schools Closed? Weighing the Risks

• Marc LeBlond, Stefanie Mason
• October 23, 2020

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

Op-Ed: The Tax Bill Benefitted All Pennsylvanians. Will that Matter on Election Day?

• Nathan Benefield
• October 23, 2020

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

Education

Op-Ed: Pennsylvania’s Catholic Schools Face Uncertainty in the Pandemic Era

• Colleen Hroncich
• October 22, 2020

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

Op-Ed: Schuylkill County and coal country keep Pa. politics unpredictable

• Charles F. McElwee
• October 22, 2020

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

Nurse Practitioners Are the Heroes Our Healthcare Needs

• Tirzah Duren
• October 16, 2020

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

Op-Ed: Could Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor deliver Trump the election?

• Jennifer Stefano
• October 12, 2020

In September, almost 450 Pennsylvanians — accustomed to waking up to an alarm and going to work — abruptly lost their jobs at Shop-Vac, a Williamsport-based manufacturer of wet/dry vacuums.

Commentary

Education

Scholarships would help Erie students during pandemic

• October 7, 2020

It’s time to form the same public-private partnerships in education. Fortunately, an innovative proposal in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly would enable students to get the help they need.

Commentary

More from the Senate Education Committee Hearing

• Nathan Benefield
• October 6, 2020

When schools closed last spring—and with many still not fully open—parents across Pennsylvania have seen their children lose ground while having to pick up the additional costs of at-home education.

Commentary

Op-Ed: Now is the time to rebuild Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• September 28, 2020

By passing these ambitious, though necessary, reforms to help Pennsylvania rebuild its economy, lawmakers can start bridging the gap between what the people need and what government is focused on.

Commentary

Lawmakers can Help Students get Back on Track

• September 25, 2020

Funded with a portion of Pennsylvania’s reserved federal CARES Act funding, the proposal would establish scholarship accounts that families can use for educational necessities, similar to EBT cards used for supplemental…

Commentary

Education

Global Education Report Confirms Pa. Parents’ Experiences

• Colleen Hroncich
• September 22, 2020

COVID-related disruptions in education could mean a $14 trillion hit to the U.S. economy in the long term. Helping kids get the individualized help they need—through Back on Track scholarship accounts—could…

Commentary

Health Care

Free-market Face Lift: How to Make Health Care More Affordable

• Tirzah Duren
• September 16, 2020

Excessive restrictions on health care providers limits access to care. …

Commentary

Energy

Lawmakers Fight Wolf on Cap and Trade Plan

• Kevin Mooney
• September 10, 2020

Governor Wolf is determined to pull Pennsylvania into a multi-state compact that restricts carbon dioxide emissions and raises the cost of power. But thanks to the natural gas revolution Pennsylvania…

Commentary

Op-Ed: To fix Philadelphia’s “bad cops” problem, end special privileges for unions

• Jessica Barnett
• September 9, 2020

Reforms that expose the current system will usher in the transparency and accountability needed to reestablish the trust upon which public safety depends.

Commentary

Education

Ways to Ease Substitute Teacher Shortages?

• Colleen Hroncich
• September 4, 2020

Now more than ever, we need flexible policies to ensure schools have enough substitute teachers. We trust school leaders to keep kids safe and manage large budgets. Shouldn’t we trust them to…

Commentary

Health Care

Lawmakers Push to Do Better, Rebuild Our Economy

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 2, 2020

Today the Republicans in the Pa. House attempted to override the Governor’s veto of HR 836, the bill that would end Pennsylvania’s 6-month long state of emergency and the…

Commentary

Send a Note to the Team

• September 2, 2020

If you'd like to share a note or word of encouragement to the team, enter it below. BWA Notes…

Commentary

Op-Ed: ‘Back on Track’ proposal would help parents pay for alternative education during COVID-19

• Kevin Mooney
• September 2, 2020

State Rep. Clint Owlett, a Republican representing District 68, is sponsoring HB 2696, and state Sen. Judy Ward, a Republican representing District 30, is pushing a companion bill, SB 1230. If enacted,…

Commentary

Public Union Democracy

Biden Would Subject Entire Economy to Unions’ Demands

• Kevin Mooney
• August 28, 2020

If Joe Biden is elected president, he would move to eliminate right-to-work laws now operative in 27 states. The current Democratic nominee for president, would also turn the Naitonal Labor…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Wolf Takes More Federal Money, Complains About It

• Andrew Abramczyk
• August 28, 2020

Governor Wolf is focused more on wrangling over unemployment aid than lowering unemployment.

Commentary

Op-ed: Parents Deserve Funding to Get Students Back on Track

• Colleen Hroncich
• August 26, 2020

Back on Track ESAs will enable parents—rather than government bureaucrats—to determine what help their children need. But the benefits don’t stop there. The scholarships will help address many of the education…

Commentary