Common Sense Weekly
Here's Commonwealth Foundation's weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania.
We hope you have a great weekend and a happy Thanksgiving!
Pennsylvania’s Future Looks Much Brighter Without RGGI
The future of Pennsylvania energy looks bright—especially after lawmakers ended the threat of what could have been a devastating carbon tax.
After months of political gridlock, Gov. Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly finally reached an agreement on the 2025–26 budget. Tucked inside that compromise is the most consequential energy decision Pennsylvania has made in years: our commonwealth’s legislative exit from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
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The Highs and Lows of the New Pennsylvania Budget
After a four-month impasse, Pennsylvania lawmakers finally delivered the 2025–26 state budget.
The newly minted spending plan offers some meaningful policy victories, such as affordable energy, regulatory reform, and educational choice.
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OVERVIEW: What's in the New Pennsylvania Budget?
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Pennsylvania Doubles Scholarship Program for Marginalized Students
School choice scored a big win in Pennsylvania’s newly minted budget.
Last week, lawmakers negotiated a $50 million increase to the Economically Disadvantaged Schools (EDS) program, a component of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, in the 2025–26 budget. The increase brings the total EITC funding to $575 million.
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Related: PA Student Test Scores Are In—and They Don’t Look Great
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All Eyes Are on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Integrity is doing the right thing — even if nobody is watching.
However, after this month's election, it’s clear that Pennsylvanians are watching. Our recently retained justices — Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht — must honor their oaths and do the right thing because the good people of our great commonwealth have their eyes on them.
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