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.

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Path to Tax Relief

  • Bob Dick
  • November 15, 2018

Pennsylvania’s high state and local tax burden is hindering job growth, suppressing wages, and enabling wasteful government spending.

Memo

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Regulation

On Amazon and Unilaterally Disarming Corporate Welfare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 13, 2018

Amazon just announced that instead of one “HQ 2”, they will chose two new facilities—neither of which will be in Pennsylvania, instead choosing New York and Virginia. This shouldn’t…

Media

Read More: On Amazon and Unilaterally Disarming Corporate Welfare

Regulation

Pennsylvania’s Pension Systems

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 6, 2018

In 2017, Pennsylvania passed landmark pension reform that will kick in come January. But our $70 billion plus liability is still growing and so is the municipal pension crisis.

Memo

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Health Care

What Do Lower Exchange Premiums Mean?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 2, 2018

For the first time in the history of the Affordable Care Act, exchange premiums are decreasing in Pennsylvania. Insurance Commissioner Altman announced an aggregate average decrease of 2.3 percent…

Media

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Government Accountability

Pennsylvania’s #1 Special Interest Problem

  • Jessica Barnett
  • October 31, 2018

A solution that makes the problem worse is no solution at all. Yet, recent calls for campaign finance reform and a natural gas severance tax would do just that—selectively…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania’s #1 Special Interest Problem

Criminal Justice Reform

Three Bills to Help Vulnerable Pennsylvanians Await Signature

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 22, 2018

Last week we celebrated passage of a transformative welfare reform bill, which Governor Wolf vetoed late Friday afternoon. But it wasn't the only good policy that cleared both chambers…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Natural Gas Outshines Solar, Blows Past Wind

  • Gordon Tomb
  • October 19, 2018

Natural gas is by far the best the most efficient way to produce electricity, according to a recent report by the Manhattan Institute. The report indicates that dollar-for-dollar,…

Media

Read More: Natural Gas Outshines Solar, Blows Past Wind

Regulation

Corporate Welfare: A Bad Deal for Pennsylvanians

  • October 17, 2018

Hanover company WNS closed its doors for good at the end of September, putting 107 men and women out of work. This news comes just two years after Governor…

Media

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Regulation

Corporate Welfare’s Record of Failure

  • October 16, 2018

In a free market economy, entrepreneurs succeed or fail based on their ability to meet their customers’ needs. Yet all too often, government disrupts this process by conferring tax credits,…

Fact Sheet

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Criminal Justice Reform

Pennsylvania’s Financial Condition? Critical

  • October 16, 2018

Despite what you may have heard, Pennsylvania’s fiscal troubles haven’t disappeared. The recent state budget did not address the commonwealth’s short- or long-term financial challenges. It merely papered over them.

Media

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Criminal Justice Reform

Unlocking Pennsylvanians’ Potential

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 11, 2018

Pennsylvania’s poverty rate remains far too high. Employers can’t find workers with technical skills, and the commonwealth continues to lead the northeast in incarcerating our citizens. One organization is…

Media

Read More: Unlocking Pennsylvanians’ Potential

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Tax Climate Remains a Burden

  • October 3, 2018

The commonwealth’s business tax climate is chilling. A report from the Tax Foundation ranks Pennsylvania on a variety of key taxes, putting the state at 34th overall. On corporate income taxes,…

Media

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Education

Young Entrepreneurs in Action

  • Colleen Hroncich
  • September 18, 2018

It’s rare to see kids voluntarily give up their Saturday to work. But that’s exactly what my 12- and 14-year old daughters—along with a dozen other kids—did at the recent…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Where Are Americans Moving?

  • September 12, 2018

Millions of people move throughout the United States each year. Some make a home on the next street over. Others move across the country. This is a normal and healthy…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

How Pennsylvania Can Transform Its Tax Code

  • September 6, 2018

Pennsylvania’s state and local tax structure is an illogical patchwork of punitive and nuisance taxes, administrative inefficiencies, and special interest carveouts. A new report from the Tax Foundation highlights…

Media

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Regulation

Gov. Wolf’s Unfair Demands Will Hinder the Economy

  • Gordon Tomb
  • August 29, 2018

The Wolf administration is once again attempting to impose excessive costs on the gas industry—and consumers—by proposing triple-digit-percentage increases in fees for authorizing well development. Pennsylvania charges more for…

Media

Read More: Gov. Wolf’s Unfair Demands Will Hinder the Economy

Taxes & Economy

The Unmistakable Merits of Tax Reform

  • August 29, 2018

Later today, Rep. Seth Grove and the York County House Delegation will host a legislative forum on the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed late last year.

Media

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Criminal Justice Reform

Removing Barriers to Work for Ex-Offenders

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 15, 2018

Pennsylvania has a 3-year recidivism rate of nearly 61 percent. Research shows one of the most critical components of successful re-entry is a job. But for 255…

Memo

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State Budget

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in Pennsylvania

  • August 14, 2018

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides tax relief to working people across all income levels. Since its passage, more than 660 businesses have announced raises, bonuses, or enhanced retirement benefits…

Fact Sheet

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Taxes & Economy

Tax Reform Continues to Produce Positive News

  • August 8, 2018

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has provided much-needed tax relief to working people—a key selling point leading up to passage of the law. However, the act’s advocates…

Media

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Criminal Justice Reform

Spending Trends & Policy Developments Under Gov. Wolf

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 31, 2018

In the last four years Pennsylvania has experienced rapid state spending growth. On the plus side, constant tax hike proposals have been largely rejected and policies like pension reform, school…

Memo

Read More: Spending Trends & Policy Developments Under Gov. Wolf