Education
2024–25 State Budget Analysis
Key Points Pennsylvania’s $47.6 billion 2024–25 budget creates a $3.6 billion structural deficit. This will exhaust General Fund reserves, which will require draining from the Rainy Day fund—illegally—or raising taxes…
Read More: 2024–25 State Budget AnalysisPennsylvania’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.
2024 state budget resources
Education
Charles Mitchell | On Offense in Pennsylvania
Charles Mitchell is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Commonwealth Foundation. Charles grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs in a family of railroaders, teachers, and small…
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Nate Benefield on The Dawn Stensland Show: Common Ground Poll Breakdown
The juxtaposition between the lack of support for Shapiro’s budget proposal (29%) and the massive support for his unfulfilled campaign promises—like Lifeline Scholarships (77%), lowering the business tax rate (81%),…
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Read More: Nate Benefield on The Dawn Stensland Show: Common Ground Poll BreakdownEducation
Governor’s campaign slogans won’t fix Pa.
Originally published at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Though elected in 2022, Gov. Josh Shapiro remains stuck in campaign mode, offering one empty platitude after another while avoiding the hard work…
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‘Shrinkflation’ ignores the true problem: deficit spending
Originally published at the Allentown Morning Call President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey deflect blame for high inflation away from the true cause: their own policies. They…
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Read More: ‘Shrinkflation’ ignores the true problem: deficit spendingState Budget
Corporate Welfare Is Rampant Throughout Governor Shapiro’s Proposed Budget
Harrisburg, Pa., March 7, 2024 — Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024–25 budget funnels $1.49 billion of taxpayer money to corporate welfare programs that have repeatedly failed to improve Pennsylvania’s economic competitiveness,…
Press Release
Read More: Corporate Welfare Is Rampant Throughout Governor Shapiro’s Proposed BudgetState Budget
Corporate Welfare in the 2024–25 Budget
Summary Pennsylvania’s economy is largely uncompetitive, with the state routinely losing businesses and residents to more economically competitive states like Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposes…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Corporate Welfare in the 2024–25 BudgetState Budget
Governor’s Proposed Budget Would Balloon Deficit to More Than $6 BILLION
Harrisburg, Pa., February 28, 2024 — Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed $48.3 billion budget would expand Pennsylvania’s structural deficit to more than $6 billion by 2028 and lead to major tax increases,…
Press Release
Read More: Governor’s Proposed Budget Would Balloon Deficit to More Than $6 BILLIONState Budget
Shapiro’s Structural Deficit
Summary Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a $48.3 billion 2024–25 General Fund budget, a $3 billion or 7.1 percent spending increase compared to last year’s ongoing general fund spending. The proposal…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Shapiro’s Structural DeficitState Budget
Transit Bailout Could Derail Shapiro’s Budget
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro thinks mass transit is too big to fail. In his recent budget address, Shapiro pitched sending roughly $300 million…
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Read More: Transit Bailout Could Derail Shapiro’s BudgetRegulation
State Law, Financial Experts, and the Governor Himself Condemn Budget Plan to Raid Rainy Day Fund
Harrisburg, Pa., February 19, 2024 — Pennsylvania significantly improved its fiscal standing over the last few years by making deposits into the Rainy Day Fund. Pennsylvania has gone from among the…
Press Release
Read More: State Law, Financial Experts, and the Governor Himself Condemn Budget Plan to Raid Rainy Day FundEducation
Gov. Shapiro’s budget shoves Pennsylvania in the wrong direction
Originally published at The Patriot-News Pennsylvania’s population is shrinking as working-age families move away to other states. State policymakers’ most important challenge is how to make our commonwealth…
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If Josh Shapiro wants to compete with Ohio, he needs to imitate Ohio
Originally published at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Gov. Josh Shapiro is right: Pennsylvania is losing to Ohio. In the last two years, Pennsylvania witnessed a net loss of 2,425 residents and…
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Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield Releases Analysis of the Governor’s 2024 Budget Proposal
Harrisburg, Pa., February 8, 2024 — The spending increases proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro in his recently released 2024 budget proposal “would explode the budget deficit and invite massive tax hikes on…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield Releases Analysis of the Governor’s 2024 Budget ProposalEducation
Key Takeaways from Governor’s 2024 Budget Proposal
Key Points Gov. Josh Shapiro’s startling spending increases and myriad of new initiatives would explode the budget deficit and invite massive tax hikes on working families in the coming years.
Backgrounder
Read More: Key Takeaways from Governor’s 2024 Budget ProposalEducation
Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Budget Demonstrates Startling Fiscal Irresponsibility
Harrisburg, Pa., February 6, 2024 — Today, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered his 2024 Pennsylvania budget address in the Capitol rotunda. His speech, lasting approximately an hour and a half, included proposals…
Press Release
Read More: Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Budget Demonstrates Startling Fiscal IrresponsibilityEducation
Stefano: Do-nothing Dems in the Pa. House hold bipartisan reforms hostage
Pennsylvania is losing people and industries to other states as a result of the state’s “crippling economic policies,” writes Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano in her Monday Inquirer …
Press Release
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Do-nothing Dems in the Pa. House hold bipartisan reforms hostage
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer In the last two years, tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians have fled the state. This trend is not new. For 12…
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Read More: Do-nothing Dems in the Pa. House hold bipartisan reforms hostageState Budget
Spice Up Gov. Shapiro’s 2024 Budget Speech with Budget Address BINGO
Harrisburg, Pa., February 5, 2024 — Ahead of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s second annual budget address, the Commonwealth Foundation invites you to spice up the governor’s upcoming speech with a game of Budget…
Press Release
Read More: Spice Up Gov. Shapiro’s 2024 Budget Speech with Budget Address BINGOEducation
How Gov. Shapiro Can Help ‘Every Child of God’
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania “I believe every child of God deserves a shot here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said last year, “and one of the…
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Shapiro’s Budget Better Be “Competitive as Hell”
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro likes to brag about being “competitive as hell.” Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is losing—and I’m not talking about football. U.S. News &…
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Read More: Shapiro’s Budget Better Be “Competitive as Hell”State Budget
Commonwealth Foundation Releases Video and Materials from Nathan Benefield’s 2024 Budget Briefing
Harrisburg, Pa., January 25, 2024 — Commonwealth Foundation’s state budget expert Nathan Benefield yesterday provided reporters background on the state’s current financial situation and budget projections in anticipation of the 2024 Pennsylvania…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Releases Video and Materials from Nathan Benefield’s 2024 Budget Briefing