Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
Josh Shapiro Can Now Focus on Leading Pennsylvania
Being passed over for vice president may be the best thing that ever happened to Josh Shapiro.
That’s probably not what our governor wants to hear now that Kamala Harris has chosen a different governor—Minnesota’s Tim Walz—as her running mate. By all accounts, Shapiro genuinely wanted the job. His army of media allies and Hollywood donors made it seem like he’d already been chosen, as if competitors like Walz didn’t even exist.
While Shapiro quickly praised Walz after Tuesday’s announcement, he’s surely thinking: I would have been a much better choice.
But Shapiro should be thinking something else. Namely, he should be asking: Why, exactly, did Kamala Harris go with someone else?
Shapiro Lost the Veepstakes--and He Only Has Himself to Blame
Earlier this month, all signs pointed to Gov. Josh Shapiro joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic presidential ticket.
After all, Shapiro sits atop high approval ratings in the nation’s largest and most important swing state. He seemingly had a home-field advantage with Harris’s announcement scheduled for Philadelphia.
However, life served Shapiro a healthy helping of humble pie when Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tom Walz as her running mate.
Poll Shows PA Voters Want ‘GSD’ Shapiro To Get More Done
Despite portraying himself as the ‘Get Sh** Done’ governor, a recent survey of 800 Pennsylvania voters showed they feel like Josh Shapiro hasn’t done enough.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Commonwealth Foundation Senior Manager Andre Beliveau told DVJournal.
The poll was released by the Commonwealth Foundation a week before Kamala Harris passed over Shapiro for the vice-presidential spot on the Democratic ticket.
It found that 76 percent believe the governor needed to be more involved in budget negotiations. The budget is supposed to be signed each year by June 30. It’s been late in both years Shapiro’s been in office. It took until early August for Shapiro to sign the initial 2023 budget. The rest wasn’t finalized until just before Christmas. This year, the budget was signed in mid-July.
Without Cuts or New Revenue, PA's Budget Surplus Is on Track to Run Dry
Pennsylvania’s multibillion-dollar surplus will soon be halved according to a projection by a state budget watchdog, the result of a long-running structural deficit combined with a growing list of obligations competing for public dollars.
The commonwealth’s recent $47.6 billion budget increased spending by 6%, with more than $1 billion in new money going to public schools in response to a court ruling that found Pennsylvania underfunds poor districts.
However, the state brought in just $44 billion in net revenue last fiscal year. So to afford the spending plan, lawmakers are reaching into the state’s sizable cash reserves, which sat at roughly $13.6 billion as of June 30, according to the Independent Fiscal Office.
How the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Is Holding Us Back
Government red tape has long been a problem in Pennsylvania, hindering economic growth and making the commonwealth unattractive for businesses. To address this bureaucratic mess, lawmakers recently approved a new process for Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permits, expediting reviews and increasing transparency and accountability.
But reforming DEP still has a long way to go. Those in the gas and oil industry can attest this.
Gas and oil drilling results in nonproducing wells that need plugging to avoid contamination. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of wells remain unplugged.
Teachers unions are fighting tooth and nail to keep kids trapped in failing schools. And with back to school time nearly here, now is a great time to check out our latest podcast, Disunion: The Government Union Report to see how public-sector unions like these are holding Pennsylvania back. Listen here.
