Elizabeth Stelle

Director of Policy Analysis

Elizabeth Stelle is the Director of Policy Analysis at the Commonwealth Foundation.

Elizabeth has researched and written on government reform, health care, welfare, energy, and government transparency. Her work has been featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Patriot-News, Philadelphia Inquirer, and a variety of radio and television programs throughout the commonwealth. Elizabeth is a graduate of Grove City College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history.

A native of Ohio, Elizabeth makes her home in the Pittsburgh area with her husband and four children. She enjoys swimming, traveling to historic landmarks and exploring the moral foundations of capitalism.

Downsides of the Minimum Wage

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 11, 2021

Thank you Chairman Roae, Chairman Galloway, and members of the House Commerce Committee for inviting the Commonwealth Foundation to testify on this persistent issue. I am Elizabeth Stelle, the Director…

Testimony

Read More: Downsides of the Minimum Wage

State Budget

Gov. Wolf’s Budget Plan & Working Families

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 23, 2021

Chairman Causer and members of the House Majority Policy Committee, thank you for inviting the Commonwealth Foundation to testify on the impact of Governor Wolf’s budget proposal. My name is…

Testimony

Read More: Gov. Wolf’s Budget Plan & Working Families

Caring for Kids and Communities: The 2021 State Budget

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 22, 2021

A successful recovery is not dependent on government aid; it requires education lifelines for families, regulatory and tax relief for small businesses, and health care reforms to bolster patient access…

Backgrounder

Read More: Caring for Kids and Communities: The 2021 State Budget

Pa. Governor’s Emergency Powers Out of Step with Most States

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 15, 2021

Pennsylvania’s emergency powers rules make our state sixth-worst in the nation, tied with others like New York and Delaware, according to the Maine Policy Institute’s Balance of Power Index. The…

Commentary

Read More: Pa. Governor’s Emergency Powers Out of Step with Most States

State Budget

Balancing the State Budget Didn’t Have to Be This Hard

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 12, 2020

If lawmakers had enacted the Taxpayer Protection Act in 2018, they would face a $770 million gap between revenues and spending. Going one step further, if lawmakers had enacted the…

Commentary

Read More: Balancing the State Budget Didn’t Have to Be This Hard

State Budget

How to Balance the State Budget without Raising Taxes in a Pandemic

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 6, 2020

Reducing spending to reflect how the pandemic impacted state agencies and balance the budget without tax hikes or borrowing is the first step. Without additional structural spending changes laid out in…

Backgrounder

Read More: How to Balance the State Budget without Raising Taxes in a Pandemic

Regulation

Help Restaurants by Privatizing the PLCB

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 26, 2020

Clearly, Gov. Wolf looks out of touch—and perhaps he knows it. Last week, following his veto, he released a proposal to waiver license fees collected by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Help Restaurants by Privatizing the PLCB

Health Care

Preserving Medicaid Before It’s Too Late

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 24, 2020

Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program is a national leader in all the wrong ways. Sub-standard access to care and soaring enrollment, costs, and fraud crowd out services for people with intellectual disabilities and low-income…

Backgrounder

Read More: Preserving Medicaid Before It’s Too Late

Health Care

Lawmakers Push to Do Better, Rebuild Our Economy

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 2, 2020

Today the Republicans in the Pa. House attempted to override the Governor’s veto of HR 836, the bill that would end Pennsylvania’s 6-month long state of emergency and the…

Commentary

Read More: Lawmakers Push to Do Better, Rebuild Our Economy

Education

Pa. has $1 billion in CARES aid left. Where should it go?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 14, 2020

As the pandemic slows, it’s time to step back and reevaluate Pennsylvania’s remaining needs for coronavirus relief. How can our state government ensure that the citizens and businesses who most…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pa. has $1 billion in CARES aid left. Where should it go?

Government Accountability

Top 10 PLCB Boondoggles

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 9, 2020

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has survived debacle after debacle. The closures around COVID-19 are just the most recent example of the PLCB's incompetence. Here are the top 10 PLCB…

Commentary

Read More: Top 10 PLCB Boondoggles

Government Accountability

Persistent Leadership will Safely Reopen Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Tirzah Duren
  • April 24, 2020

Governor Wolf continues to take positive steps toward a safe and gradual opening of the Pennsylvania economy because lawmakers continue to advance good policy that protects lives and livelihoods.

Memo

Read More: Persistent Leadership will Safely Reopen Pa.

Health Care

Where Have All the Human Service Dollars Gone?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 10, 2020

Nearly half of Pennsylvania's budget goes to human services or welfare. Governor Wolf wants to increase human service spending by $1.4 billion next year. But how well are these programs…

Commentary

Read More: Where Have All the Human Service Dollars Gone?