Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
The Fight for Educational Freedom in PA is Back in Harrisburg
The debate over school vouchers is heating up again.
And this time, both sides are coming to the fight, a lot more organized — and a lot more well-funded than last year.
Last year, public school advocates and teachers’ unions were caught off guard. They knew that Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro was supportive of a voucher program, but didn’t know that he’d work to implement a program that went against his party’s biggest allies during his first year in office.
School vouchers held up the state budget last year, but the anti-voucher crowd ultimately got its way. After initially cutting a deal with Senate Republicans for a $100 million voucher program to send some students in low-performing districts to private schools, he vetoed the program when it couldn’t pass the Democrat-controlled House.
Budget Season Arrives in Pennsylvania Capitol
Pennsylvania lawmakers return to session Monday to begin a four-week countdown to the start of the state’s next fiscal year, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican lawmakers offering competing visions for how to use a massive surplus.
Shapiro has floated an admittedly “ambitious” $48.3 billion budget plan that would rely on about $3 billion in reserve cash and would feature a top Democratic priority: boosting public school funding.
Republicans, who control the state Senate, said the governor’s proposal would put the state on course to drain a $14 billion surplus within a few years before they passed their own $3 billion tax-cutting plan, which Democrats said would have a similar effect.
Historic Tax Cuts for ALL Pennsylvanians
For the people across Pennsylvania, the past few years have been filled with economic uncertainty and soaring costs. Inflation has run rampant. Families and seniors have watched grocery bills multiply, energy costs skyrocket, and home prices and rent go through the roof.
And through it all, what can you say your government has done to help you?
President Joe Biden and Gov. Josh Shapiro certainly have their ideas. Essentially, they say the government needs more of your money so that they can decide how to spend your tax dollars to best help you. How is that going?
Pennsylvania’s bank account is already flush. In fact, the Commonwealth is projected to have a budget surplus of over $14 billion. Gov. Shapiro’s response to this is to spend away on more government programs and wasted bureaucratic bloat. In fact, Gov. Shapiro’s budget proposal calls for outrageous spending increases that would set Pennsylvania on a path towards massive tax hikes in just a few years.
Lawmakers Can Ease Financial Worries of Pennsylvanians
The struggle is real.
When asked about their families’ financial situation, only 17% of Pennsylvanians see themselves as better off now than two years ago, while 42% believe they’re in a worse position, according to a poll conducted for the Commonwealth Foundation.
Despite the noise generated by partisan claims of an improved economy, Pennsylvanians struggle to afford groceries, pay their electricity bills and provide a quality education for their kids.
Are government regulations holding you or your business back? Have a story to share on how government red tape is raising costs for you? Share your story here!
