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.

Regulation

An Inhospitable Tax Increase

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 4, 2017

Another day, another tax. The newest plan to fill a $2.2 billion budget hole includes a 5 percent increase to the hotel tax, along with a new tax on fireworks and third-party online…

Media

Read More: An Inhospitable Tax Increase

State Budget

Four Alternatives to the Warehouse Tax

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • October 3, 2017

The latest tax proposal to balance the $2.2 billion budget shortfall is receiving a cool reception. The tax hike under consideration would extend the sales tax to commercial warehouses. The…

Media

Read More: Four Alternatives to the Warehouse Tax

Taxes & Economy

Three Reasons a Severance Tax Is a Bad Idea

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 25, 2017

The hunt for money to satisfy Harrisburg's overspending problem is in full gear. Lawmakers and special interests want to impose an additional tax on gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale, the…

Media

Read More: Three Reasons a Severance Tax Is a Bad Idea

State Budget

“Recurring Revenues” Lead to Recurring Pain

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 21, 2017

The House’s preferred approach to close the state’s $2.2 billion deficit recently came under fire for its reliance on one-time revenue sources rather than recurring revenues, i.e., tax increases. But this…

Media

Read More: “Recurring Revenues” Lead to Recurring Pain

House Budget Solution Spares Taxpayers

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 19, 2017

Tired of hearing about the state budget impasse? There could finally be light at the end of the tunnel and, for taxpayers, it’s not an oncoming train. On Wednesday, the…

Media

Read More: House Budget Solution Spares Taxpayers

State Budget

House Lawmakers Vote to Protect Taxpayers

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 14, 2017

Last night, 103 House lawmakers voted for a no-tax, no-borrowing plan that will balance the state budget once fully implemented. Please take a moment to thank those lawmakers.

Media

Read More: House Lawmakers Vote to Protect Taxpayers

State Budget

Ten Facts About the Shadow Budget

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 11, 2017

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 Budget

State Budget

Five Facts About the Shadow Budget

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 31, 2017

Lawmakers should utilize surplus shadow budget funds before raising taxes on working families.

Memo

Read More: Five Facts About the Shadow Budget

Taxes & Economy

Severance Tax Talk is Stunting Investment in Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 30, 2017

One tax is emblematic of Pennsylvania’s failure to grow the economy with more government spending: the natural gas severance tax. Special interest groups have worked for a decade to enact a…

Media

Read More: Severance Tax Talk is Stunting Investment in Pa.

Health Care

Five Medicaid Work Requirement Truths

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 24, 2017

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 Truths

State Budget

Tax Hikes Won’t Prevent Credit Downgrades

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 17, 2017

In July, S&P placed Pennsylvania on a negative credit watch, citing budget uncertainties. The move signaled a potential credit rating downgrade for Pennsylvania, which Governor Wolf is using to push for higher taxes.

Media

Read More: Tax Hikes Won’t Prevent Credit Downgrades

Taxes & Economy

More Evidence Minimum Wage Increase = Job Loss

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 9, 2017

Montgomery County, Maryland failed to increase the minimum wage from $11.50 to $15 per hour after County Executive Isiah Leggett vetoed the measure. He called for an objective study to…

Media

Read More: More Evidence Minimum Wage Increase = Job Loss

State Budget

More Bad Budget Ideas: Resurrecting the Home Heating Tax

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 26, 2017

With no clear path to a balanced budget, lawmakers have suggested resurrecting the long-dead natural gas receipts tax in order to pay for this year's $32 billion budget. Sound familiar?…

Media

Read More: More Bad Budget Ideas: Resurrecting the Home Heating Tax

Health Care

Obamacare Continues to Destabilize Health Insurance

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 25, 2017

Obamacare repeal efforts have included transformative Medicaid reform, but retained many of the regulations responsible for collapsing individual markets. On Friday, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department released shocking individual insurance rate requests…

Media

Read More: Obamacare Continues to Destabilize Health Insurance

Regulation

Wolf Targets Job Creators for Tax Hikes

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 17, 2017

At the top of Governor Wolf’s revenue wish list sits an even higher severance tax on natural gas. Yet, this tax would fail to balance the budget and cause further economic stagnation by suppressing existing revenue streams…

Media

Read More: Wolf Targets Job Creators for Tax Hikes

Health Care

Four Game Changing Welfare Reforms

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 11, 2017

The 2017-18 spending plan is now law, but officials still must find a way to pay for it. The latest version of the human services code bill includes a host…

Media

Read More: Four Game Changing Welfare Reforms

Health Care

Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State Budget

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 6, 2017

State lawmakers are scrambling to create a revenue plan that can balance the $32 billion dollar spending plan passed by the legislature last week. While talks of tax hikes, borrowing…

Media

Read More: Meaningful Welfare Reform Included in State Budget

Regulation

Policy Memo: Ideas to Balance the 2017-18 Budget

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 5, 2017

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

Health Care

Welfare Reform Efforts Gain Traction

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 27, 2017

Tax hikes or spending reforms? That's the question before lawmakers as the annual scramble to the June 30th budget deadline proceeds. So it's no surprise lawmakers are turning their attention…

Media

Read More: Welfare Reform Efforts Gain Traction

Health Care

What the Senate ACA Repeal Plan Means for PA

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 23, 2017

A draft of the U.S. Senate GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare is out in the open. Overall, the bill is a step in right direction. The plan fundamentally…

Media

Read More: What the Senate ACA Repeal Plan Means for PA

Health Care

One Step Towards Redesigning Human Services

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 15, 2017

Governor Wolf’s proposal to merge four state agencies into the Department of Health and Human Services has the potential to benefit taxpayers and beneficiaries by eliminating bureaucratic redundancies and providing…

Media

Read More: One Step Towards Redesigning Human Services