Common Sense Weekly
Here's Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
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Gov. Shapiro’s Call For Civility Rings Hollow Amid His Own Partisan Attacks
Last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro offered remarks to a conference, condemning all forms of political violence—everything from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the past failed attempts on the lives of President Donald Trump and the arson attack against himself.
Overall, Shapiro gave a great speech. His speech extolled values that we all hold dear—the freedom to express yourself freely without fear of violent reprisal is a bedrock principle of our nation. But Shapiro hasn’t always practiced what he preaches.
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Dangerous Schools and the Democratic Governors Who Ignore Them
Blue-state governors are on high alert these days, fearing that President Donald Trump will send federal troops to address the rampant crime ravaging their constituents. But these very same governors — many of whom have presidential ambitions for 2028 — have ignored violence in not only their major urban centers but also their public schools.
While they eye higher office, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have all abdicated their responsibility to protect students in their respective states.
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Extending Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Will Make Health Care More Expensive
The federal government shutdown centers on a debate about health care costs. More specifically, enhanced premium tax credits—built into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during the COVID-19 pandemic—will expire by the end of 2025, and members on both sides of the aisle want to renew them.
Pennie, Pennsylvania’s healthcare exchange, has warned its recipients that they will see their premiums increase by an average of 82 percent if federal lawmakers allow these enhanced premium tax credits to expire. Yet, these tax credits—better classified as subsidies—have distorted the price of health care and are long past their expiration date.
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School Districts Claim to be “Underfunded” During Budget Impasse, Despite Massive Reserve Funds
Winston Churchill famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Pennsylvania school districts have adopted this approach, using the current state budget impasse as a pretext to raise taxes or cut their budgets.
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