Energy

Assessing Gov. Tom Wolf’s Tenure

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 12, 2023

Key Points During Gov. Tom Wolf’s eight years in office, Pennsylvania ranked below the national average in income growth, job growth, and population growth.State government spending increased significantly under Wolf,…

Backgrounder

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Prosperity

Pennsylvania State Budget Outlook

  • January 9, 2023

In November, the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released its Five Year Economic and Budget Outlook. Here are several trends for lawmakers. Pennsylvania’s Economy Remains Stagnant IFO forecasts Pennsylvania’s…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Pa. Tax Credit Scholarships

  • December 19, 2022

Summary Pennsylvania awarded almost 63,000 K–12 scholarships, and the average overall scholarship increased to over $2,500 for the 2020–21 school year. In 2020–21, K–12 students in Pennsylvania submitted almost 139,000…

Fact Sheet

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Health Care

The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in Pennsylvania

  • Dr. David Mitchell, Dr. Moiz Bhai
  • December 5, 2022

Key Points More than 580,000 Pennsylvanians live in areas with a shortage of primary care professionals relative to the population. This shortage exists throughout the state but concentrates in rural…

Backgrounder

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Energy

Rising Electricity Costs

  • November 30, 2022

How High Are Electric Bills Rising? Electricity bills are rising across the commonwealth by an average of 73 percent between December 2020 and December 2022.Increases range from 55 percent for…

Fact Sheet

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Health Care

How Full Practice Authority Can Increase Access and Improve Outcomes

  • November 15, 2022

Key Findings Marylanders in border counties have better health care outcomes, including fewer residents reporting fair or poor health and fewer residents with poor mental health days.Before full practice authority,…

Report

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Independence

Pa’s Wayward Welfare State

  • October 27, 2022

Summary Policies that expanded Medicaid eligibility to healthy, working-aged people and do not require the verification of eligibility have expanded the size and complexity of a program designed to focus…

Fact Sheet

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Energy

The Dangers of Environmental, Social, and Governance Mandates

  • Gordon Tomb
  • October 27, 2022

*This testimony was requested by the House Commerce Committee for a hearing that did not occur.* Chairman Roae, Chairman Galloway and members of the House Commerce Committee, thank you for…

Testimony

Read More: The Dangers of Environmental, Social, and Governance Mandates

Fairness

Government Union Political Spending in the 2021–22 Election Cycle

  • Andrew Holman
  • October 10, 2022

Introduction According to campaign finance reports and union financial disclosure statements, Pennsylvania government unions have spent $169 million on politics since 2007, making government unions a top special interest in…

Fact Sheet

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Prosperity

Pa. Economic Trends September 2022

  • September 16, 2022

Overview Families across the country continue to feel the pressure of rising prices. The Consumer Price Index is up 8.3% over the last year, and while gasoline prices have fallen…

Backgrounder

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Pennsylvania Back-to-School Education Trends

  • September 12, 2022

As students head back to school, there are many claims of teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. In reality, public school spending is at a record high and Pennsylvania ranks among…

Research

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Fairness

New Numbers on Political Spending by Government Union Executives

  • September 2, 2022

Labor Day is a celebration of the American worker—their contributions and achievements that make this country great. Unfortunately, many American workers are sidelined—even bullied—by organizations that are meant to represent…

Memo

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Education

Pa. Back to School Education Trends

  • August 26, 2022

Overview As students head back to school, there are many claims of teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. In reality, public school spending is at a record high and Pennsylvania ranks…

Report

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Energy

Corporate Welfare, No Boost to Business Climate

  • August 16, 2022

Summary Pennsylvania’s economy continues to struggle. In June, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate reached 4.5 percent, the fifth highest in the nation.[1], [2] As of June…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Corporate Welfare, No Boost to Business Climate

Criminal Justice Reform

Juvenile Justice Reform

  • Jessica Barnett
  • August 3, 2022

Key Points The Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force (Task Force) found most youth entering the juvenile justice system committed low-level offenses and are “low risk to reoffend.”[1]Studies…

Backgrounder

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Prosperity

What to know about the 2022 state budget deal

  • July 7, 2022

Pennsylvania lawmakers today unveiled the next fiscal year’s state budget plan. The Bad News: This budget represents excessive growth in government spending, increasing state spending by 10.7 percent over last…

Memo

Read More: What to know about the 2022 state budget deal

Health Care

Medicaid’s Endless Expansion

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Stefanie Mason
  • July 5, 2022

Key Points Medicaid enrollment has surged, increasing by more than one million since 2015.[1] The program now covers more than one-quarter of all Pennsylvanians.Medicaid is the largest program…

Backgrounder

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