Research

Public Union Democracy

Gov. Wolf’s Stealth Unionization of Home Health Care Workers

• Nathan Benefield
• April 20, 2015

In 2015, Gov. Wolf issued an executive order paving the way for unionization of homecare workers in Pennsylvania. These workers provide in-home medical and personal care. Many of these workers are…

Memo

Public Union Democracy

Prevailing Wage Reform in Pennsylvania

• April 1, 2015

Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Law was enacted in 1961, mandating that state and local governments pay construction contractors wages that “prevail” in each region on projects costing $25,000 or more. This…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Gov. Wolf’s Proposed Property Tax Shift

• Nathan Benefield
• March 24, 2015

As part of his 2015-16 budget proposal, Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed using some revenue from increased state taxes for school property tax relief beginning in 2016-17. This policy brief examines…

Fact Sheet

Energy

Natural Gas Severance Tax

• March 20, 2015

A severance tax must be considered in light of the state’s total tax structure. Pennsylvania taxes the natural gas industry in many ways that don’t exist in other drilling states.

Fact Sheet

Government Accountability

Collective Bargaining Transparency

• March 17, 2015

Government union contract negotiations can have far reaching implications because they set compensation for tens of thousands of public employees, costing taxpayers billions each year. Despite the enormous impact, the…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Summary of Governor Wolf’s 2015-2016 Budget Proposal

• Nathan Benefield
• March 12, 2015

General Fund spending is projected to reach $31.6 billion—the largest spending increase (8.7 percent) in 25 years. Gov. Wolf is proposing to move $1.75 billion in school pension payments to a…

Memo

Education

Student Funding Reform

• February 17, 2015

Pennsylvania ranks among the nation’s leaders in education spending per student. Although spending levels are high, the system for distributing state funding is outdated. Weighted student funding (WSF) is a…

Fact Sheet

Government Accountability

Political Spending by Government Unions During the 2014 Election

• February 11, 2015

The evidence is overwhelming: Unions use members' dues and taxpayer resources to push their political agenda. By passing paycheck protection, Pennsylvania can move toward leveling the political playing field, making…

Memo

Criminal Justice Reform

Pennsylvania State Budget Toolkit

• February 6, 2015

The enacted $29 billion General Fund budget (a 1.88 percent increase over 2013-2014) and $71.4 billion total operating budget represent Pennsylvania’s highest spending levels ever—exceeding years when federal stimulus dollars…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Pennsylvania State Budget Trends, 2015

• February 6, 2015

The enacted $29 billion General Fund budget (a 1.88 percent increase over 2013-2014) and $71.4 billion total operating budget represent Pennsylvania’s highest spending levels ever—exceeding years when federal stimulus dollars…

Fact Sheet

Regulation

Five Steps Toward a Balanced Budget

• February 5, 2015

The consequences of overspending have plagued Pennsylvania for years. This year is no different. Lawmakers are tasked with eliminating a projected budget deficit of nearly $1.7 billion, according to forecasts…

Memo

York City School District: Academic Performance

• October 10, 2014

York City SD ranked 499 out of 500 districts on the Department of Education’s 2012-13 State Performance Profile( SPP), with a score of 46.5.

Fact Sheet

Education

Assessing the Cost of Tom Wolf’s Spending and Tax Proposals

• October 8, 2014

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf has proposed several new spending initiatives and tax code changes, though specific details remain lacking. To give Pennsylvanians a better idea of the impact of these proposals,…

Memo

State Budget

The Taxpayer Protection Act

• September 16, 2014

Due to 40 years of government overspending, state and local taxes now cost Pennsylvanians $4,374 per person, equaling 10.3% of resident’s total income. Pennsylvania currently has the 10th highest state and…

Fact Sheet

Education

Ten Thousand Lifeboats

• September 11, 2014

In 2001, Pennsylvania became the first state in the nation to enact an education tax credit aimed at corporations. Since then, the popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program has…

Fact Sheet

Education

Education Spending Poll

• August 26, 2014

Nearly three-quarters of Pennsylvania voters underestimate the amount the state spends on education. And when informed of the facts, support for boosting education funding by hiking taxes dropped significantly.

Poll

Education

Philadelphia School Trends, 2002-03 to 2012-13

• August 1, 2014

The School District of Philadelphia is in desperate need of reform, but its many problems cannot be solved by simply raising taxes and increasing spending.

Fact Sheet

Public Union Democracy

Triple Threat Pension Debt

• June 18, 2014

At more than $50 billion in debt our pension plans for state and school workers are among the worst funded in the country. Without reform, Pennsylvanians face cuts to services, teacher layoffs, higher…

Poll

Education

Five Facts on Pennsylvania Public Schools

• June 4, 2014

The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently released its annual summary of public school finances for the 2012-13 school year. Here are some basic facts about school finances and spending,…

Fact Sheet

Regulation

Stopping the Sinkhole

• May 27, 2014

Evidence from the private sector and some reformed public sector pension programs shows that pension reform is possible and creates significant savings to firms in the private sector and taxpayers…

Report

State Budget

2014 Pennsylvania State Budget

• May 15, 2014

Governor Corbett's proposed budget of $29.4 billion in General Fund spending (a 3.3% increase) and $71.8 billion in spending from all funds represents Pennsylvania's highest spending levels ever—exceeding years when…

Fact Sheet