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Prosperity
The PLCB’s Boondoggles
PLCB History In 1933, four days before the end of Prohibition, then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot established the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). Pinchot created the PLCB to fill the regulatory…
Read More: The PLCB’s Boondoggles
Prosperity
A Brief History of Gov. Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike Proposals
Read More: A Brief History of Gov. Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike Proposals
Prosperity
Taxpayer Protection Act: Facts & Myths
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Fairness
Why Pennsylvania Needs Wisconsin-Style Government Union Reform
Read More: Why Pennsylvania Needs Wisconsin-Style Government Union ReformState Budget
The Taxpayer Protection Act: A Legislator’s Guide
Pennsylvania’s high state and local tax burden is the consequence of a decades-long spending binge. Pennsylvanians currently pay $4,589 per person in state and local taxes, which equals 10.2 percent…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Taxpayer Protection Act: A Legislator’s GuidePublic Union Democracy
Pa. Leads the Nation in Teacher Strikes
This report compares Pennsylvania's strike laws to other states, and highlights the impact on teachers and students.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pa. Leads the Nation in Teacher StrikesTaxes & Economy
The State of Natural Gas in Pa.
Pennsylvania’s regulatory and tax environment is stunting job growth and deterring investment. A decade after the Marcellus Shale boom, lawmakers are still debating how to tax the industry instead of…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The State of Natural Gas in Pa.State Budget
Exposing the Shadow Budget
The state budget process needs an overhaul. Over the last two years, Pennsylvanians have witnessed unbalanced budgets, unsustainable spending increases, and harmful tax hikes. Additionally, a gross lack of financial…
Memo
Read More: Exposing the Shadow BudgetHealthcare
Improving Medicaid through Work & Community Engagement
For the first time, the federal government is allowing states to require recipients to pursue work, education, or community engagement to maintain Medicaid benefits. With wide support in Pennsylvania, this…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Improving Medicaid through Work & Community EngagementState Budget
A Brief History of Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike Proposals
Since taking office, Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed or supported 11 tax hikes on working families. Lawmakers voted to raise taxes in two of the past three years.
Memo
Read More: A Brief History of Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike ProposalsState Budget
Five Taxpayer Protection Act Facts Every Pennsylvanian Should Know
House Bill 110, also known as the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA), would amend Pennsylvania’s constitution to limit spending increases to the combined rate of inflation and population growth over a…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Five Taxpayer Protection Act Facts Every Pennsylvanian Should KnowPublic Union Democracy
Fifty State Labor Report 2017
We've updated a nationwide comparison of public sector labor laws - Pennsylvania again scores a D.
Report
Read More: Fifty State Labor Report 2017Education
Impact of Education Savings Accounts Under SB 2
In Pennsylvania, tens of thousands of children are trapped in failing schools. While current programs such as tax credit scholarships and charter schools help, they cannot meet families’ demands for…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Impact of Education Savings Accounts Under SB 2Government Accountability
Overhauling Pennsylvania’s Budget Practices
Pennsylvania’s broken budget process hurts working Pennsylvanians. In the last two years, the state legislature passed spending packages, which Gov. Wolf allowed to become law without his signature, before authorizing…
Memo
Read More: Overhauling Pennsylvania’s Budget PracticesPublic Union Democracy
Paycheck Protection Toolkit
Currently, state and local governments, including school districts, use taxpayer-funded payroll systems and public employee time to collect union campaign contributions as well as union membership dues, a portion of…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Paycheck Protection ToolkitState Budget
A Brief History of Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike Proposals
Since taking office, Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed or supported 10 tax hikes on working families. Lawmakers worked with Wolf to raise taxes in two of the past three years.
Memo
Read More: A Brief History of Tom Wolf’s Tax Hike ProposalsPublic Union Democracy
Ending Taxpayer-Funded Collection of Campaign Contributions
The House State Government Committee recently advanced SB 166, which restores integrity to an unfair system by stopping taxpayer-funded collection and distribution of campaign contributions for any entity. We explain…
Memo
Read More: Ending Taxpayer-Funded Collection of Campaign ContributionsHealthcare
Restoring the Dignity of Work
The benefits of work are widely known. Yet major welfare programs treat work as a burden instead of the pathway to prosperity. Restoring work in food stamps alone could improve…
Report
Read More: Restoring the Dignity of WorkState Budget
What’s Next for the 2017-18 Budget?
What does the Senate's vote to non-concur mean? How does a conference committee work? How does the credit downgrade affect the budget? Negotiations over the 2017-18 budget have raised interesting…
Memo
Read More: What’s Next for the 2017-18 Budget?State Budget
Ten Facts About the Shadow Budget
Four tax hikes in eight years have failed to solve Pennsylvania’s budget challenges or grow the economy. In contrast, utilizing 13% of reserve funds in the shadow budget…
Memo
Read More: Ten Facts About the Shadow BudgetState Budget
Five Facts About the Shadow Budget
Lawmakers should utilize surplus shadow budget funds before raising taxes on working families.
Memo
Read More: Five Facts About the Shadow BudgetHealthcare
Five Medicaid Work Requirement Truths
Work leaves families better off. To ignore this fact and urge people to trust a failing Medicaid system is nothing short of a moral scandal.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Five Medicaid Work Requirement TruthsState Budget
Policy Memo: Analysis of the State Senate’s Revenue Plan
On July 27, the state Senate passed a $1.8 billion revenue package, which includes more than $1.2 billion in borrowing and $570 million in tax increases to pay for the…
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Analysis of the State Senate’s Revenue PlanEducation
Policy Memo: Education Savings Accounts: Myths and Facts
Education Savings Accounts help children grow, satisfy parents, and can improve the quality of education in Pennsylvania. This memo addresses falsehoods raised by opponents of parental choice in education.
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Education Savings Accounts: Myths and FactsRegulation
Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 Budget
With a spending plan in place, lawmakers should focus their efforts on reinventing state government to balance the budget, including ending horse racing subsidies.
Memo
Read More: Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 Budget