State Budget
Governor Shapiro’s First Budget Falls Short
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first state budget proposal perpetuates unsustainable spending and fails to address the most promising ideas he put forward during his campaign. For…
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s First Budget Falls ShortPennsylvania’s complex state budget has enabled policymakers to keep taxpayers in the dark when it comes to state spending. Year after year, some elected officials use budget gimmicks to both make the budget appear balanced and to secure their own agendas. Pennsylvanians deserve reforms that bring true transparency to the budgeting process. We must limit spending growth to a sustainable rate, ensuring the state government—like hardworking taxpayers—live within its means.
Regulation
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 GrowsState Budget
News Release: State House Promotes Pathway to Independence in Welfare Code
House lawmakers yesterday passed significant welfare reforms to reinforce the safety net for those most in need while helping more Pennsylvanians escape the cycle of poverty and move from dependency…
Press Release
Read More: News Release: State House Promotes Pathway to Independence in Welfare CodeHealthcare
Four Game Changing Welfare Reforms
The 2017-18 spending plan is now law, but officials still must find a way to pay for it. The latest version of the human services code bill includes a host…
Media
Read More: Four Game Changing Welfare ReformsRegulation
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 UnlearnedHealthcare
Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State Budget
State lawmakers are scrambling to create a revenue plan that can balance the $32 billion dollar spending plan passed by the legislature last week. While talks of tax hikes, borrowing…
Media
Read More: Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State BudgetRegulation
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 BudgetState Budget
Lawmakers’ Choices: Higher Taxes or Real Reform
Half the state budget is done: the spending list. The Pennsylvania House and Senate passed a general appropriations bill on Friday. But the other half—how to pay for it—remains. The…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers’ Choices: Higher Taxes or Real ReformCriminal Justice Reform
How to Revamp Pa.’s Criminal Justice System
Pennsylvania can reduce its prison population by more than 1,000 people while saving approximately $108 million over five years, according to a Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) Working Group Report.
Media
Read More: How to Revamp Pa.’s Criminal Justice SystemPublic Union Democracy
Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?
Government unions are rallying in Harrisburg, demanding more money from Pennsylvanians to justify an even larger state budget. It’s worth asking, how did we get here again? And what…
Media
Read More: Balancing Pennsylvania’s Budget: Tax or Reform?Regulation
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 MistakesState Budget
Lawmakers’ Choice: Bogus Budget Borrowing or Serious Solutions
The start of the new fiscal year is less than two days away, but lawmakers have yet to nail down the specifics for the 2017-18 budget. Higher taxes and new borrowing…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers’ Choice: Bogus Budget Borrowing or Serious SolutionsState Budget
PA Budget: What the Constitution Mandates
As lawmakers debate the details of a new state budget, it’s crucial to remember what our state constitution requires them to do. The Pennsylvania Constitution does not require a…
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Read More: PA Budget: What the Constitution MandatesState Budget
Focusing on What Matters in the Tax Credit Debate
Pennsylvania provides tax credits for film production, concerts and video games. House Bill 1519 would combine these credits into one Multimedia Tax Credit Fund. But consolidating tax credits doesn't address…
Media
Read More: Focusing on What Matters in the Tax Credit DebateRegulation
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
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?State Budget
Stop Calling for Higher Taxes
In comments at the Pennsylvania Press Club yesterday, Sen. Jay Costa addressed the state deficit and called for tax increases. Costa said, “A year from now, someone will be standing…
Media
Read More: Stop Calling for Higher TaxesState Budget
The Solution to Pa.’s Perpetual Deficit Problems
Pennsylvania is rapidly approaching the June 30 budget deadline. Over the next two weeks, lawmakers will decide how to balance the 2017-18 budget. But they’ll also need to settle old…
Media
Read More: The Solution to Pa.’s Perpetual Deficit ProblemsHealthcare
One Step Towards Redesigning Human Services
Governor Wolf’s proposal to merge four state agencies into the Department of Health and Human Services has the potential to benefit taxpayers and beneficiaries by eliminating bureaucratic redundancies and providing…
Media
Read More: One Step Towards Redesigning Human ServicesRegulation
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
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