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Education
Pennsylvania’s Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth
Key Findings Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) are state tax credit programs that give thousands of low- to middle- income students access to…
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the CommonwealthCriminal Justice Reform
How Pa. Can Keep Prisons and Communities Safe During Coronavirus
Pennsylvania’s prisons and jails are particularly vulnerable to the quick spread of COVID-19. Here are several recommendations for mitigating the risk in our corrections system while protecting public safety. …
Fact Sheet
Read More: How Pa. Can Keep Prisons and Communities Safe During CoronavirusEducation
Understanding Cyber Charter Schools
Misconceptions abound when it comes to cyber charter schools—and opponents use that confusion to attack this important option. In the current era of school shutdowns, it's more important than ever…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Understanding Cyber Charter SchoolsHealth Care
Policy Recommendations to Fight COVID-19 in Pennsylvania
As Pennsylvania faces its greatest crisis in decades, it is imperative that legislators take the lead and enact key heath care, education, and budget reforms to help Pennsylvania families and small…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Policy Recommendations to Fight COVID-19 in PennsylvaniaGovernment Accountability
Three Steps to an Honest Budget: Fiscal Reform Priorities 2020-2021
Our legislative roadmap to a balanced budget, a spending limit and a more transparent fiscal process.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Three Steps to an Honest Budget: Fiscal Reform Priorities 2020-2021Education
Tuition Scholarships for Harrisburg
With HB 1800, Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) wants to give parents the ability to escape Harrisburg schools without a permission slip from local officials.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Tuition Scholarships for HarrisburgState Budget
Pa. Voters Support the Taxpayer Protection Act
Nearly 2/3rds of Pennsylvanians support the Taxpayer Protection Act.
Poll
Read More: Pa. Voters Support the Taxpayer Protection ActPublic Union Democracy
Pa. Voters Support the Employee Rights Notification Act
66% of voters support the Employee Rights Notification Act.
Poll
Read More: Pa. Voters Support the Employee Rights Notification ActHealth Care
The Administrative Cost of Community Engagement Requirements in Medicaid
This is the first in a series of policy briefs looking at the common objections to implementing community engagement requirements, or work expectations, for healthy adults receiving benefits under Medicaid…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Administrative Cost of Community Engagement Requirements in MedicaidState Budget
Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 2
The state legislature controls less than half of all state revenue. The rest is on autopilot, flowing automatically through a maze of accounts and undermining the constituional plan for accountabilty…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 2Education
Fact Sheet: HB 1897 Eliminating Cyber Charter Schools
Today 34,000 Pennsylvania kids choose cyber charter schools. HB 1897 would eliminate all Pa. cyber charter schools by fall 2021. It also issues a top-down mandate that each school district…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Fact Sheet: HB 1897 Eliminating Cyber Charter SchoolsEducation
A Fair, Accountable, and Transparent Education
What are the facts on fairness, accountability, and transparency in the Commonwealth’s education system?…
Fact Sheet
Read More: A Fair, Accountable, and Transparent EducationRegulation
The Broken Promise of Flexible Liquor Pricing
The Liquor Control Board told the public it would use its expanded pricing powers for consumer benefit. Instead it has used them to benefit only itself.
Memo
Read More: The Broken Promise of Flexible Liquor PricingGovernment Accountability
Worker Freedom in the States
Unprecedented labor issue activity has followed the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME ruling. Read our summary here.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Worker Freedom in the StatesGovernment Accountability
Transparency Can Curb the High Taxpayer Cost of Government Union Contracts
Behind closed doors, Pennsylvania elected officials routinely negotiate billion-dollar contracts with government unions leaders. Three new contracts will cost an additional $1 billion from 2019-23.
Memo
Read More: Transparency Can Curb the High Taxpayer Cost of Government Union ContractsGovernment Accountability
The Janus Impact and Grading of State Public Sector Labor Laws
In the Janus aftermath, pro-union forces make legislative headway counteracting the court decision, while workers push back in the courts. This report details the trends, and grades each state according to…
Report
Read More: The Janus Impact and Grading of State Public Sector Labor LawsState Budget
Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 1
Pennsylvania's largest budget items are growing unsustainably fast. The budget can only be brought under control only if these cost drivers are addressed.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Slicing Pennsylvania’s Finances, Part 1Public Union Democracy
Government Unions One Year after Janus v. AFSCME
One year after Janus unions lost significant fee-based revenue, fee-payers largely remain non-union, and existing members—frequently unaware of the ruling or restricted from resigning—often maintain membership…
Memo
Read More: Government Unions One Year after Janus v. AFSCMEEducation
Opportunity Denied Again: Despite Recent Increase, Thousands of Scholarships Still Denied
In 2017-18, the cap on Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program increased by $10 million. Yet, 49,356 scholarship applications were denied—49% of all applications. To meet demand, lawmakers need…
Memo
Read More: Opportunity Denied Again: Despite Recent Increase, Thousands of Scholarships Still DeniedEducation
EITC & OSTC Escalator: Because Kids Need a Longer Lifeline
Pennsylvania's successful education tax credit programs are oversubscribed, resulting in tens of thousands of families being denied scholarships. It's time to expand these programs. Here are answers to common questions…
Fact Sheet
Read More: EITC & OSTC Escalator: Because Kids Need a Longer LifelineState Budget
Making Bad Investments Won’t Restore PA
Governor Wolf’s Restore PA plan utilizes a natural gas severance tax and borrowing to fund infrastructure improvements. There’s a better way to improve our infrastructure.
Memo
Read More: Making Bad Investments Won’t Restore PAEnergy
Climate Change
For decades state government has imposed subsidies, increased regulation and raised energy costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These efforts have largely failed to make an impact. On the other…
Memo
Read More: Climate Change