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Education
Wall Street Journal Editorial: A School Choice Revival in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania students trapped in the state’s worst-performing schools have another opportunity for scholarships following Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reversal of his previous stance and veto of bipartisan budget legislation last year.
Read More: Wall Street Journal Editorial: A School Choice Revival in PennsylvaniaEnergy
Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate’s Passage of Historic Tax Cuts
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate’s Passage of Historic Tax CutsEducation
Pa. Senate Committee Advances Lifeline Scholarships for Students in Failing Schools
Read More: Pa. Senate Committee Advances Lifeline Scholarships for Students in Failing SchoolsPublic Union Democracy
Why have teacher salaries become stagnant?
Read More: Why have teacher salaries become stagnant?Taxes & Economy
Tax Data Agrees, Everyone Wins from Tax Reform
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 ReformRegulation
Government-Run Booze Losing Across the Nation: Will Pa. be Next?
The Supreme Court delivered several high-profile rulings this summer on issues including partisan gerrymandering and the census citizenship question. A lesser-known case, Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas, will also…
Media
Read More: Government-Run Booze Losing Across the Nation: Will Pa. be Next?Education
How to Help Harrisburg Students, Right Now
There’s plenty of fights and rule-breaking going on in Harrisburg School District. But I’m not talking about the kids: it’s the adults who perpetrate this conflict and corruption. Meanwhile, the…
Media
Read More: How to Help Harrisburg Students, Right NowRegulation
Only Six Months in and Pension Reform Is Already Making a Difference
Planting a fruit tree. Saving up for a cruise. Raising kids. Good results take time and patience. That’s definitely been true for pension reform. Passed back in 2017, the impacts…
Media
Read More: Only Six Months in and Pension Reform Is Already Making a DifferenceState Budget
Applause for ‘Mature’ Debt Reform, but More Needed
Good policy isn’t always controversial. House Bill 24, which was signed into law on July 2, caused no floor theatrics, mass tweeting, or activist howls. The bill, proposed by Rep. John Lawrence…
Media
Read More: Applause for ‘Mature’ Debt Reform, but More NeededCriminal Justice Reform
School Choice on Behalf of Pa.’s Poorest Should Be a Bipartisan Issue
In Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and throughout the country, Republicans and Democrats have come together to pass smart criminal justice reforms that help people achieve independence and prosperity…
Media
Read More: School Choice on Behalf of Pa.’s Poorest Should Be a Bipartisan IssueGovernment Accountability
Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and Unconstitutional
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 UnconstitutionalGovernment Accountability
A Look Inside New Government Union Contracts
Government union leaders recently reached multi-year contract agreement with the Wolf Administration, including 18% compensation increases over four years. Even though taxpayers foot the bill, they are still waiting to know…
Media
Read More: A Look Inside New Government Union Contracts
A New Licensing Reform Makes Moving to Pa. a Little Easier
The Fourth of July is always a busy time at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. There’s nothing more American than visiting America’s birthplace on her birthday. With a plethora of historical locations…
Media
Read More: A New Licensing Reform Makes Moving to Pa. a Little EasierTaxes & Economy
Heavy Tax Burdens Weigh Down Job Growth
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 GrowthEducation
Getting Real About Education Spending
Another budget season has come and gone in Harrisburg. As usual, education spending was one of the hottest topics. Constant demands for “more money” by teachers’ unions and their…
Media
Read More: Getting Real About Education SpendingTaxes & Economy
Those are Drilling Rigs, Not Money Trees
“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 TreesEducation
Kids Claim Victory in Pa. Budget
Thanks to school choice heroes like Speaker Mike Turzai and Senator Mike Regan, Pennsylvania students will benefit from a $30 million increase in tax credit scholarships. The agreed upon…
Media
Read More: Kids Claim Victory in Pa. BudgetCriminal Justice Reform
Does Justice Reinvestment Work?
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?
One Year After Janus
One year ago, Pennsylvania government workers like William, Megan, Shalea, Curtis, and Francisco weren’t planning to taking their union to court. Yet, they are among…
Media
Read More: One Year After JanusState Budget
This Year’s Budget Continues Past Trends
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 TrendsState Budget
Budget Spares Taxpayers, Boosts School Choice, but Leaves Much Undone
June 28, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, lawmakers put the finishing touches on a state budget that spares Pennsylvanians from tax hikes, grows the state’s beleaguered Rainy Day Fund, and boosts school…
Press Release
Read More: Budget Spares Taxpayers, Boosts School Choice, but Leaves Much UndoneEducation
Common EITC and OSTC Misconceptions
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” This saying is even more true in the internet age. Case in point: recent falsehoods…
Media
Read More: Common EITC and OSTC MisconceptionsPublic Union Democracy
Respecting Workers’ Rights
Do you really have liberty if it is not legally protected? Five Pennsylvanian corrections officers likely asked themselves that question when their union, the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association…
Media
Read More: Respecting Workers’ RightsEducation
How Many Kids Should We Save?
Last week, local mom Thalia McClenton visited the Capitol to tell her tax credit scholarship story. Thalia’s sons attend Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School thanks to scholarship funding. Thalia explained:…
Media
Read More: How Many Kids Should We Save?Education
Five Things Lawmakers Should Know About the State Budget Deal
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