High taxes make for a slow-growing economy. And communities feel the pinch of high taxes as more and more native Pennsylvanians leave the Keystone State to prosper elsewhere. To remain economically competitive, Pennsylvania must lower state taxes and ensure businesses have the opportunity to succeed. Lower taxes will incentivize more individuals to call Pennsylvania their home, ultimately spurring our statewide economy forward.

State Budget

The Taxpayer Protection Act Is Commonsense

  • Tirzah Duren
  • August 21, 2019

For over a decade, various lawmakers have introduced Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) legislation to get a handle on Pennsylvania’s out of control budget. This overspending hurts our economy, drives away…

Media

Read More: The Taxpayer Protection Act Is Commonsense

State Budget

Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 1

  • Andrew Abramczyk
  • August 21, 2019

Pennsylvania's largest budget items are growing unsustainably fast. The budget can only be brought under control only if these cost drivers are addressed.

Fact Sheet

Read More: Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 1

Regulation

Cigarette Taxes Target the Poor

  • Tirzah Duren
  • August 12, 2019

The founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, believed strong liberty of conscience was essential to a flourishing society. But Pennsylvania’s current slough of sin taxes shrug off Penn’s warning. Pennsylvania’s sin…

Media

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Regulation

Corporate Welfare Is the Gift That Just Keeps Taking

  • Tirzah Duren
  • August 6, 2019

Less than a year ago Pennsylvania’s state government offered Amazon billions in tax incentives to bring its HQ-2 location here. Amazon said no. But, when the commerce giant decided to open…

Media

Read More: Corporate Welfare Is the Gift That Just Keeps Taking

Public Union Democracy

Government Unions One Year after Janus v. AFSCME

  • Jessica Barnett
  • August 2, 2019

One year after Janus unions lost significant fee-based revenue, fee-payers largely remain non-union, and existing members—frequently unaware of the ruling or restricted from resigning—often maintain membership…

Memo

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Taxes & Economy

The Battle Over General Assistance and Our Poverty Problem

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 2, 2019

In 2012, lawmakers ended a small cash welfare program called General Assistance. Despite all the recent Democratic hubbub, none of the members actually tried to restart the program through the…

Media

Read More: The Battle Over General Assistance and Our Poverty Problem

Regulation

No More Food Stamps for Millionaires

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 31, 2019

Leroy Fick won $2 million playing the Michigan lottery. He bought a new home and a costly car, all while collecting taxpayer-funded food stamps. Fick and stories like his…

Media

Read More: No More Food Stamps for Millionaires

State Budget

Pennsylvania is NOT Taking Care of Business

  • July 24, 2019

Pennsylvania is the 5th worst state to start a business, according to a new study by Wallethub. Only Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island fare worse. Then,…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania is NOT Taking Care of Business

Taxes & Economy

Tax Data Agrees, Everyone Wins from Tax Reform

  • Tirzah Duren
  • July 22, 2019

Who benefits from tax reform? That question has been a hot topic since the 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), and the answer is everyone.  However,…

Media

Read More: Tax Data Agrees, Everyone Wins from Tax Reform

Government Accountability

Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and Unconstitutional

  • Andrew Abramczyk, Jessica Barnett
  • July 12, 2019

A wise buyer should always read the fine print, but it isn’t easy. Documents like cell phone contracts and software user agreements can be hard to read, often by design. The dense language…

Media

Read More: Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and Unconstitutional

Taxes & Economy

Heavy Tax Burdens Weigh Down Job Growth

  • Tirzah Duren
  • July 9, 2019

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is expected to create 1.2 million jobs across the country in its first decade. I recently wrote about the ongoing benefits Pennsylvania is reaping thanks…

Media

Read More: Heavy Tax Burdens Weigh Down Job Growth

Taxes & Economy

Those are Drilling Rigs, Not Money Trees

  • Gordon Tomb
  • July 5, 2019

“Money doesn’t grow on trees,” my mother regularly declaimed in her impromptu lessons on financial literacy. Too bad she’s not with us to explain this to Governor Wolf: neither the Marcellus…

Media

Read More: Those are Drilling Rigs, Not Money Trees

Criminal Justice Reform

Does Justice Reinvestment Work?

  • Jessica Barnett
  • July 1, 2019

One of the foremost, data-driven efforts in the nation to make criminal justice truly fair and effective is under consideration in the Pennsylvania House after a unanimous vote in the…

Media

Read More: Does Justice Reinvestment Work?

State Budget

This Year’s Budget Continues Past Trends

  • Tirzah Duren
  • June 28, 2019

The 2019-2020 budget spending bill is on the governor’s desk and lawmakers are claiming it represents an increase of only 1.8 percent over last year. If this were true, it would…

Media

Read More: This Year’s Budget Continues Past Trends

State Budget

State Can Build on Tax Reform Boom

  • Tirzah Duren
  • June 27, 2019

To attract the investment and job creators that will secure our future, we can—and must—do better. Luckily, lawmakers have the blueprint they need to make our state competitive: Control spending…

Commentary

Read More: State Can Build on Tax Reform Boom

Education

Five Things Lawmakers Should Know About the State Budget Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 25, 2019

Less than a week before the start of the 2019-20 fiscal year, legislative leaders unveiled a proposed state budget—including both the spending and revenue outline, and several policy changes that…

Media

Read More: Five Things Lawmakers Should Know About the State Budget Deal

State Budget

Future Growth Depends on Today’s Lawmakers

  • Tirzah Duren
  • June 20, 2019

Federal tax cuts made Pennsylvania’s current economic growth possible, but state reform could make it sustainable. Today Pennsylvanians are enjoying $866 million in surplus state revenue, an all-time low unemployment rate,…

Media

Read More: Future Growth Depends on Today’s Lawmakers

State Budget

Lawmakers Show Signs of Budget Restraint

  • Tirzah Duren
  • June 18, 2019

When state revenues outpace spending there’s always a temptation to spend more—in fact, even when revenues fall short…

Media

Read More: Lawmakers Show Signs of Budget Restraint

Education

Fiscal Forgetfulness

  • Andrew Abramczyk
  • June 12, 2019

Next year the governor wants to spend $1.4 billion more than he requested for this year, according to his recent budget proposal. Separately he’ll need as much as $750 million…

Media

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