By Carl A. Marrara and Brian Kennedy More than a century ago, George Westinghouse built what became known as an “Empire of Lights” across Western Pennsylvania. He did not just produce electricity. He built the infrastructure, factories, and industrial backbone that powered a nation. Today, leveraging that Westinghouse empire, Pennsylvania is once again building the physical […]

By Charles E. Greenawalt II, Ph.D., Senior Fellow Introduction Since 1981, I have been a political science professor, an employee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, or a member of the mass media. Throughout my youth and during the beginning of my career, the legacy of Thomas Jefferson shined brilliantly and was unquestioned. Jefferson looks over […]

By David Taylor In every way that matters, energy is life. For the half-million Pennsylvanians who work in manufacturing – people who show up every day to make real things from real materials – electricity is not an abstraction. It is the difference between a shift that runs and one that doesn’t. It is the […]

By State Senators Devlin Robinson, Vincent J. Hughes and Steve Santarsiero When the effort to restrict student cellphone use in schools first began two years ago, it was met with skepticism. Some thought it was unrealistic. Others worried it would create new enforcement headaches for teachers or intrude on parents’ ability to reach their children […]

By Stefani Frank Imagine waking your high schooler for school each morning and being met with resistance. At first you chalk it up to typical teenage stubbornness. You insist school is important, you push them out the door, and you move on with your day. But then as weeks pass, the resistance isn’t fading – […]

By Guy Ciarrocchi   What if I told you that in 2027 and beyond, there could be up to $1 billion more dollars spent on K-12 education in Pennsylvania? What if you knew that it wouldn’t cost taxpayers anything out of pocket (unless you freely chose to contribute)? What if I can all but guarantee that […]

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO’S BUDGET STRIKES OUT THE RAINY DAY FUND By Rep. Jim Struzzi Watch Rep. Struzzi discuss the budget on Behind the Headlines. Similar to a baseball umpire, we make an initial call when we first see the governor’s budget request.  It’s a real-time assessment of the governor’s speech and budget materials. Like any good […]

By David M. Sanko, Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors    Every year, Pennsylvania’s townships celebrate “Sunshine Week” to highlight the vital importance of open government. But as we observe the week from March 15 to 21, we must ask ourselves a difficult question: Is the “sunshine” actually reaching the people, or is it being blocked […]

By the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association    Reality Isn’t Optional Surrealist science fiction author Philip K. Dick once wrote, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Governor Josh Shapiro may not believe in Pennsylvania’s fiscal reality of structural deficits, unfavorable demographics, a depleted surplus, and limited revenue, but that reality […]

By Joe D’Orsie and David Taylor Individualism, rugged or not, has led to more collective prosperity than any other human economic inclination in history. Charismatic prose from a 34-year-old socialist who majored in Africana Studies most certainly doesn’t change that fact. But despite Zohran Mamdani’s glowing report of collectivism at his inauguration for New York […]