Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
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Shapiro ‘Ready to Work’ With Trump on ‘Aligned’ Priorities
Gov. Josh Shapiro says he’s ready to work with President Donald Trump.
The Democratic leader of Pennsylvania, where support for domestic energy production and a populist enthusiasm for the commander-in-chief resonates loudly, issued a statement Monday congratulating the new administration and pledging a cordial partnership, albeit conditionally.
“As governor, I have a responsibility to serve the people of Pennsylvania – and I go to work every single day focused on making life better and delivering results for them,” he said. “Over the last two years, I’ve worked across the aisle – bringing Democrats and Republicans together – to solve problems, cut taxes and reduce costs, create real opportunity in our classrooms, invest in public safety, create jobs, and grow our economy.
Where is Josh Shapiro on U.S. Steel?
Will Gov. Josh Shapiro finally raise a finger to save U.S. Steel?
That’s been the question ever since former President Joe Biden issued a reprieve to his earlier decision to block the iconic Pennsylvania company’s merger with Nippon Steel. Our governor should have supported this deal from the start. Instead, he’s failed Pennsylvania workers and must right that wrong while the window is still open.
Let’s be clear: This deal is essential to U.S. Steel’s success — if not its survival. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker has fallen on hard times, unable to compete with foreign companies and struggling to keep its steel mills open. Without Nippon Steel’s $13 billion purchase of U.S. Steel and agreement to invest $2.7 billion in new infrastructure, company leaders warned Pennsylvania mills would close and workers
would be laid off. U.S. Steel could even move its headquarters out of Pennsylvania — to Ohio, no less — and perhaps even head into bankruptcy.
Paris Agreement Exit Signals Return of American Energy Dominance
What matters more: America's economy or European climate radicalism?
Just hours after taking the Oath of Office, President Donald Trump gave the right answer. He withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords, putting the growth and success of American communities and families ahead of the extreme and pointless demands of climate radicals. Almost simultaneously, Trump started slashing the outgoing administration's regulatory regime, which had stifled American energy, especially through its foolish ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
These decisions bode well for America's future—a future that must be built on a foundation of energy dominance.
Here Are the Best Worst States for Educational Freedom - See Where Pennsylvania Ranks
A new report from a nonprofit organization that ranks states by educational freedom found large differences between them based on their efforts to improve the school choices families have for their children.
The American Legislative Exchange Council's Index of State Education Freedom, released Thursday, ranks states based on the school choice options and funding programs they offer students and their families.
Commonwealth Foundation Unveils Its “Better Pennsylvania Agenda”
The Commonwealth Foundation released a policy roadmap this morning designed to help Pennsylvania’s lawmakers address the challenges facing citizens of the Commonwealth.
The “Better Pennsylvania Agenda” offers 30 bipartisan solutions and reforms to address economic, education, energy and budgetary issues that are causing residents to flee the state to more welcoming environs.
A free-market think tank, the Commonwealth Foundation’s proposals include measures to help low-income children escape failing schools, cut taxes to unleash economic development, empower Pennsylvania’s energy sector to prioritize affordability and security, and ensure that workers are no longer at the mercy of special interest groups.
The “Better Pennsylvania Agenda” also calls out Gov. Josh Shapiro with initiatives that he said he supported during his successful 2022 campaign for the office, but the Foundation says he has failed to deliver. These include reducing the state’s Corporate Net Income Tax (CNIT) and enacting Lifeline Scholarships.
