From Commonwealth Foundation <[email protected]>
Subject Are government unions making a comeback?
Date September 12, 2026 11:47 AM
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Government union rebound, Shapiro’s power grab and flip-flopping, and moreWalker on federalism, energy costs, and Shapiro's new powers

**Common Sense Weekly**

Here’s the Commonwealth Foundation’s weekly news roundup of policy issues debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.

We hope you have a great weekend!

****Government Unions are Bouncing Back—and Coming for State Legislatures****

The Commonwealth Foundation released the fifth edition of

**The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws**. This report, which we release every two years, tracks and rates all 50 states on their dedication to worker freedom and their public policies on government unions. Interestingly, after experiencing a significant setback in 2018 (namely, the

**Janus v. AFSCME decision**), government unions have rebounded in membership. 

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****Josh Shapiro Gets Stuff Undone****

Gov. Josh Shapiro, once calling himself “all in on AI,” recently reversed his stance on data-center development, including dismantling the “fast-track” permitting process he advocated for years ago. But this reversal tracks with the governor’s track record of flip-flopping on school choice, taxation, and regulatory reform.

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****Shapiro Seeks COVID-19-Style Lockdown Powers****

Five years ago, pandemic-weary Pennsylvanians adopted two constitutional amendments specifically designed to rein in executive authority. Now, the Shapiro administration wants to adopt 500 pages of new “public health” powers, many of which seem to circumvent the very guardrails Pennsylvanians codified years ago. 

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****Who Holds Pennsylvania’s Public Schools Accountable?****

A recent 

**PennLive** “investigation” asked, “Who holds private schools accountable?” But parents already hold private schools accountable by leaving. Students zoned into these public districts, however, have no such exit. Rachel Langan, our senior education policy analyst, addresses accountability—or the lack of it—in Pennsylvania’s public schools.

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****One Year Later, Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Carries On****

Megan Martin, the Commonwealth Foundation’s chief operating officer and general counsel, reflects on the first anniversary of the traffic death of Charlie Kirk. As political polarization rises, Megan calls for political civility and encourages readers to carry on Charlie’s legacy of advocacy for free markets, limited government, and educational choice.

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