Regulation
Pennsylvania’s red tape is a red flag for would-be business owners
Originally published at Broad + Liberty When it comes to zip codes, Americans are dating around. The rise in remote work has changed how people choose their hometowns, allowing…
Read More: Pennsylvania’s red tape is a red flag for would-be business ownersPennsylvania’s notoriously high level of regulation is a burden on our state economy. To make the Keystone State a competitive place to live, work, or grow a business, reforms are needed to rein in the regulatory process. Taxpayers deserve a streamlined regulatory process that scrutinizes proposed regulations to ensure frivolous reforms do not overburden the state economy and do not prevent job-seekers from accessing employment.
Regulation
Liquor Privatization: The Cure for Power Plays and Tax Hikes
Get ready to pay more for alcohol in state stores. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is set to use its newly acquired power—via Act 39—to raise the…
Media
Read More: Liquor Privatization: The Cure for Power Plays and Tax HikesHealthcare
Obamacare Continues to Destabilize Health Insurance
Obamacare repeal efforts have included transformative Medicaid reform, but retained many of the regulations responsible for collapsing individual markets. On Friday, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department released shocking individual insurance rate requests…
Media
Read More: Obamacare Continues to Destabilize Health InsuranceRegulation
Rescuing Pennsylvania from Fiscal Shipwreck
The state’s shaky fiscal position is no secret. Lawmakers continue to negotiate behind closed doors to eliminate the current deficit and pay for new spending in the $32…
Media
Read More: Rescuing Pennsylvania from Fiscal ShipwreckRegulation
Wolf Targets Job Creators for Tax Hikes
At the top of Governor Wolf’s revenue wish list sits an even higher severance tax on natural gas. Yet, this tax would fail to balance the budget and cause further economic stagnation by suppressing existing revenue streams…
Media
Read More: Wolf Targets Job Creators for Tax HikesRegulation
Economy Stalls While Government Grows
This week, lawmakers and the Wolf Administration were unable to agree on a revenue package to pay for a $32 billion budget proposal. Once again, state government is…
Media
Read More: Economy Stalls While Government GrowsRegulation
A Double Whammy for PA Job Creators
The governor continues to insist on hiking natural gas taxes to balance the budget, while bureaucrats are heaping regulatory burdens on Pennsylvania’s most dynamic industry of the past decade.
Media
Read More: A Double Whammy for PA Job CreatorsRegulation
The Unrelenting Demand for Tax Increases Illustrates Lessons Unlearned
For Gov. Wolf, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite the harm caused by last year’s tax increases, Gov. Wolf appears to be holding out—yet…
Media
Read More: The Unrelenting Demand for Tax Increases Illustrates Lessons UnlearnedRegulation
Liquor Privatization’s Dual Purpose
State lawmakers have yet to agree on a plan to balance last year’s budget (2016-17) or this year’s budget (2017-18), despite authorizing large spending increases both years. In…
Media
Read More: Liquor Privatization’s Dual PurposeRegulation
News Release: End Horse Racing’s $2.7 Billion Taxpayer-Funded Windfall
State government spends $800 million on taxpayer-funding giveaways to politically connected businesses each year. As lawmakers and Gov. Wolf debate ways to pay for the $32 billion spending plan passed…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: End Horse Racing’s $2.7 Billion Taxpayer-Funded WindfallRegulation
Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 Budget
With a spending plan in place, lawmakers should focus their efforts on reinventing state government to balance the budget, including ending horse racing subsidies.
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 BudgetRegulation
What to Know about the Senate Budget
Late last night, the Senate unveiled its version of the spending side of a state budget. The Senate advanced the bill from the Appropriations Committee with a full floor vote…
Media
Read More: What to Know about the Senate BudgetRegulation
Op-Ed: Learn from Last Year’s Budget Mistakes
Before you dismiss the budget debate as political theater, consider this: The deals hashed out in Harrisburg could blow a hole in your own budget or even strip you of…
Commentary
Read More: Op-Ed: Learn from Last Year’s Budget MistakesRegulation
News Release: Three Steps to Close State’s Budget Shortfall Without Tax Hikes
With a $1.4 billion projected budget shortfall for 2016-17 and just days to solve it, Pennsylvanians want solutions that won’t take even more money from their pockets. Fortunately, lawmakers and…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: Three Steps to Close State’s Budget Shortfall Without Tax HikesRegulation
Fact Sheet: Leveraging Liquor Privatization to Balance the Budget
Last year, lawmakers loosened Pennsylvania’s monopolistic grip on wine and liquor sales with the passage of Act 39. However, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) still maintains a high…
Media
Read More: Fact Sheet: Leveraging Liquor Privatization to Balance the BudgetRegulation
Is a Budget Deja Vu in Pennsylvania’s Future?
The General Assembly is floating a plan to balance the state budget with higher taxes and more borrowing, according to Charles Thompson of PennLive. Sound familiar? Lawmakers adopted…
Media
Read More: Is a Budget Deja Vu in Pennsylvania’s Future?Regulation
A Visitor’s Guide to Buying Booze in PA
Planning a dinner? Picking up a hostess gift? Here’s our handy shopping guide to keep things E.A.S.Y.* *Every Annoying Stop You have to make to get what you need.
Media
Read More: A Visitor’s Guide to Buying Booze in PARegulation
Growing PA’s Economy through Relief, not Mandates
Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in terms of job growth (46th) and personal income growth (45th). Our unemployment rate remains well above the national average and our economy grew…
Media
Read More: Growing PA’s Economy through Relief, not MandatesEducation
Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?
Philadelphia’s new teacher contract could be so expensive as to require teacher layoffs to pay for it. But there’s another way the $395 million pact could be financed: with…
Media
Read More: Will Philly Union Contract Require State Bailout?Regulation
Policy Points: Pennsylvania’s Debt Burden
State and local debt levels have exploded since 2002. When combined with the commonwealth’s unfunded liabilities, total state obligations exceed $17,600 for every Pennsylvania resident.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Policy Points: Pennsylvania’s Debt BurdenRegulation
Pennsylvania Ranks Poorly…Again
Redesigning state government has never been more important. For evidence, check out Pennsylvania’s poor performance in U.S. News & World Report’s recent Best States Rankings. Overall, the study puts the…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Ranks Poorly…AgainCriminal Justice Reform
Policy Memo: Principles for State Budget
With the 2017 budget, lawmakers have an opportunity to double down on the idea of reinventing government and adopt meaningful reforms that will save taxpayers money, stimulate economic growth, and improve services…
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Principles for State Budget