Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
Democrats will soon find out whether the Pa. House will stay under their control or flip to Republicans
Control of the Pennsylvania state House was still too close to call early Wednesday morning, as ballots continued to be counted in races that could be decided by very small margins.
House Democrats hoped to expand their narrow 102-101 majority, while Republicans hoped to retake control of the state House that they controlled for more than a decade before Democrats shocked the state in 2022.
As of 11 a.m., Republicans in vulnerable districts in Delaware and Bucks Counties — Reps. Craig Williams, Joe Hogan and K.C. Tomlinson — held onto their seats, according to race calls by the Associated Press. Rep. Brian Munroe (D., Bucks) had a slight lead in the hotly contested Central Bucks County seat that Republicans spent more than $600,000 trying to flip.
Affordable Energy Can Alleviate Pennsylvanians’ Economic Anxieties
Pennsylvanians are anxious about their futures. However, a recent poll shows a clear pathway to rebuilding optimism in the Keystone State.
New polling by the Commonwealth Foundation shows statewide pessimism. More than two-thirds of Pennsylvania voters believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, and more than half say the same about the commonwealth.
So, what exactly keeps Pennsylvanians up at night? Inflation and the rising cost of living remain the undisputed top concern. Seven out of ten Pennsylvanians reported inflation affecting their household budgets. (Immigration and the U.S. economy also received honorable mention as top issues.)
Philadelphia teachers — like their students — want educational choice
Philadelphia schools recently adopted a new multimillion-dollar curriculum — and district teachers sound mad as hell about it.
The School District of Philadelphia recently rolled out its $25 million English Language Arts (ELA) program for the 2024–25 school year. According to a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, teachers have mixed reviews.
Some teachers call it “a wonderful program” and “rigorous and evidence-based.” One teacher claims his students have advanced faster than years before.
