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RELEASE: Penn Policy Center, Pennsylvanians Together, and Action Together NEPA Hold Community Conversation – ‘Healthcare and Federal Tax Changes: Impacts on PA Working Families’ 

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 28, 2025 

Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org  

Pennsylvania Policy Center, Pennsylvanians Together Campaign, Action Together NEPA, Labor, Partners Hold Community Conversation: “Healthcare and Federal Tax Changes: Impacts on PA Working Families” 

Lehigh Valley, PA—The Pennsylvania Policy Center, the statewide affiliate of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and its action arm, Pennsylvanians Together, in partnership with Action Together NEPA, held a Community Conversation on Monday, January 27, 6-7:30PM.  

The event focused on the proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs that could be addressed in the federal reconciliation bill as soon as this month. These cuts pose a serious threat to Pennsylvania and our state budget potentially creating a multibillion-dollar shortfall and jeopardizing priorities like public education. Discussions in Washington, DC, about extending and expanding the 2017 tax cuts only heightens these threats for working families in Pennsylvania.  

The event was open to everyone and included a real conversation about policy proposals that could harm Pennsylvanians, and what we can do about them.  

WHO: The event featured the following speakers:  

  • Tara Zrinski, Northampton County Controller 
  • Sabrina McLaughlin-Willinsky, for Senator John Fetterman’s office 
  • Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center 
  • Jessica Brittain, Communications Director, Action Together NEPA 
  • Kristin Volchansky, Advocacy Director, Action Together NEPA 

CONVERSATION QUOTES: 

Senator John Fetterman: “Pennsylvania families rely on programs like Medicaid and SNAP to make ends meet, put food on the table, and get the health care they need. No matter who is in the White House, I will fight to protect these programs for families and seniors. I’ve promised to jam up any legislation that cuts SNAP and I stand by that. We need to defend and expand these programs, not slash them to fund tax cuts for big corporations.”   

Marc Stier, Pennsylvania Policy Center: “Pennsylvanians face a double threat: First, tax cuts for the wealthy multinational corporations and ultra-rich individuals. And, to pay for those tax cuts, we expect cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs and tariffs that will raise taxes and increase the costs of goods for all of us. If these plans are adopted, the vast majority of Pennsylvanians will suffer.”  

Kristin Volchansky, Advocacy Director for Action Together NEPA: “Millions of Pennsylvanians rely on programs like Medicaid and SNAP. They aren’t just statistics – they’re our neighbors, our friends, and our coworkers. They’re our kids, our parents, and our grandparents. I am one of those Pennsylvanians for whom Medicaid was a lifeline. Medicaid coverage ensured my ability to access care and allowed me to regain my independence. Drastic cuts to these programs would have a devastating impact on families and communities across our Commonwealth.” 

Tara Zrinski, Controller for Northampton County: “We need to begin an honest and hard conversation about cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. County employees process applications, administer funds, and provide outreach and case management to help individuals and families. It may be easy to make cuts when you are sitting at the federal level, but at the county level it is very hard to look people in the eye and tell them there is no relief.” 

Pennsylvanians Together is a campaign working to ensure that all Pennsylvanians can thrive—not just survive. For too long, we’ve let politicians, who serve the interests of corporations, and the rich divide us based on what we look like, where we come from, where we worship, how much money we have or whether we are native-born or immigrants. By dividing us, they have given us public policies that do too little to help most Pennsylvanians while making the rich and corporations even wealthier. 

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January 28, 2025

RELEASE: Lehigh Valley Candidates Share Campaign Agenda Before Election

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 11, 2024 

Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org  

RELEASE: Candidates in Lehigh Valley Share Campaign Agenda Before Election– Local Elections Have Big Impact on Day-to-Day Lives of Residents of Lehigh Valley! 

Lehigh Valley, PA— Pennsylvanians Together in Action held its second press conference in communities across the commonwealth to build support for the policy agenda that we want to see in 2025: one that builds a state that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. The second event was Friday, October 11, at 11AM at Northampton Community College.   

The event featured the following speakers:  

  • Anna Thomas, Candidate HD 137 

  • Armando Jimenez, Deputy Organizing Director, Make The Road PA 

  • Veronica O’Neill, SEIU, Joint Board Workers United Member  

  • Kristin Volchansky, Advocacy Director, Action Together NEPA 

  • Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvanians Together in Action 

  • Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvanians Together in Action 

Why: Together, Pennsylvanians can create a vibrant economy and ensure that everyone in the state is not just surviving, but thriving. 

Local candidates running for state House and Senate in northeastern PAdiscussed policies that keep Pennsylvania families safe and healthy, including fair wages and good jobs, fully funded education, affordable healthcare and housing, a thriving democracy, a clean environment, and of course – #TaxJustice! 

Quotes:  

Marc Stier: “Pennsylvanians Together is a non-partisan campaign that aims to break down the barriers of class, race, and gender that make it impossible for everyone to thrive not just survive. But being non-partisan doesn’t prevent us from recognizing that our agenda moves forward in Pennsylvania when Democrats control a legislative body and stalls when Republicans do. Thus, we want voters to recognize that Democratic Party control of the PA House and Senate is crucial to creating a government that works for all of us.”  

Veronica O’Neill: “As a proud member of Workers United, I am thrilled to join Pennsylvania’s Together organization in advocating for every worker’s right to a livable wage and benefits, such as sick leave, to build a stronger and more prosperous community!”  

Dwayne Heisler: “We are at a crossroads. The candidates who have endorsed the Pennsylvanians Together agenda are making it clear: they are choosing to fight for fair wages, good jobs, affordable healthcare, and a clean environment—the very issues that define what it means to stand with working families across the Commonwealth. Together, we can make sure that this state works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”  

Anna Thomas: “I’m proud to endorse the Pennsylvanians Together agenda because it focuses on giving working people a fair shake and making sure they can afford to thrive in Pennsylvania. From education funding reform to tax fairness, now is the time to tackle issues that impact working families.”  

Kristin Volchansky: “Action Together NEPA is proud to be a part of the Pennsylvanians Together Coalition, fighting for livable wages, a strong public education system, and tax justice for all Pennsylvanians. But building that brighter future means we need leaders in Harrisburg who share and stand up for those values.  

Jared Bitting: “As a father, widower, and 26-year Technology and Engineering educator who has seen an increased need for mental health support, I entered the race for Pennsylvania House District 138 because I believe in the Pennsylvanians Together agenda to find bipartisan, commonsense solutions to fully fund our schools and ensure women have the right to choose their own healthcare.” 

Pennsylvanians Together in Action is a 501c4 non-partisan campaign that engages in electoral work to enact the policy agenda of Pennsylvanians Together. 

October 11, 2024

RELEASE: Candidates in Northeastern PA Share Campaign Agenda Before Election

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 10, 2024

Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org

RELEASE: Candidates in NEPA Share Campaign Agenda Before Election — Local Elections Have Big Impact on Day-to-Day Lives of Residents of NEPA

NEPA, PA—Pennsylvanians Together in Action held its first press conference in communities across the commonwealth to build support for the policy agenda that we want to see in 2025: one that builds a state that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. The first event was Thursday, October 10, at NOON.

The event featured the following speakers:

  • Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, HD 121
  • Megan Kocher, Candidate HD 119
  • Tara Probst, Candidate HD 189
  • Fern Leard, Candidate HD 120
  • Kristin Volchansky, Advocacy Director, Action Together NEPA
  • Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvanians Together in Action
  • Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvanians Together in Action

Why: Together, Pennsylvanians can create a vibrant economy and ensure that everyone in the state is not just surviving, but thriving.

Local candidates running for state House and Senate in northeastern PA discussed policies that keep Pennsylvania families safe and healthy, including fair wages and good jobs, fully funded education, affordable healthcare and housing, a thriving democracy, a clean environment, and of course — #TaxJustice!

Event Quotes:

Dwayne Heisler: “We are at a crossroads. The candidates who have endorsed the Pennsylvanians Together agenda are making it clear: they are choosing to fight for fair wages, good jobs, affordable healthcare, and a clean environment—the very issues that define what it means to stand with working families across the Commonwealth. Together, we can make sure that this state works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”

Marc Stier: “Pennsylvanians Together is a non-partisan campaign that aims to break down the barriers of class, race, and gender that make it impossible for everyone to thrive not just survive. But being non-partisan doesn’t prevent us from recognizing that our agenda moves forward in Pennsylvania when Democrats control a legislative body and stalls when Republicans do. Thus, we want voters to recognize that Democratic Party control of the PA House and Senate is crucial to creating a government that works for all of us.”

Megan Kocher: “I proudly endorse the Pennsylvanians Together Agenda because it seeks to address the root causes of so many issues that hold working families, like my own, back. For example, it prioritizes equitable funding for our public schools, ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code, has access to a quality education!”

Fern Leard: “Everybody deserves a family sustaining wage and Pennsylvanians Together Agenda includes fighting for a fair return on our work that will allow us to better provide for and spend more quality time with our families. That’s why I’m proud to stand with them.”

Kristin Volchansky: “Action Together NEPA is proud to be a part of the Pennsylvanians Together Coalition, fighting for livable wages, a strong public education system, and tax justice for all Pennsylvanians. But building that brighter future means we need leaders in Harrisburg who share and stand up for those values.

Tarah Probst: “Advancing the Pennsylvanians Together agenda means protecting reproductive rights while ensuring that our schools are fully funded. Every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and the opportunity to receive a quality education, no matter where they live.”

Eddie Day Pashinski: “Supporting the Pennsylvanians Together agenda is essential to ensuring equitable education for all students in Pennsylvania. By prioritizing funding fairness and investing in our schools, we can give every child the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their zip code.”

Madeline Vazquez: “Supporting the Pennsylvanians Together agenda strengthens workers’ rights by empowering unions to advocate for fair wages, safe workplaces, and job security. When we stand with unions, we build a stronger, more equitable economy for everyone.”

Pennsylvanians Together in Action is a 501c4 nonpartisan campaign that engages in electoral work to enact the policy agenda of Pennsylvanians Together.

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October 9, 2024

RELEASE: Capitol Rally Launching Pennsylvanians Together In Action

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 26, 2024

Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org 

ADVISORY: 11:30 a.m., Monday, September 30

CAPITOL RALLY Launching Pennsylvanians Together In Action with Legislative Leaders, Partners; Demand for Policies That Work for ALL Pennsylvanians

Harrisburg, PA—Pennsylvania Policy Center, the statewide affiliate of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and its action arm, Pennsylvanians Together In Action, will officially launch its campaign in the Capitol rotunda on Monday, September 30, at 11:30 a.m. EST.

The event will feature the following speakers:

• Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center
• Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvanians Together
• House Speaker Joanna McClinton
• Senator Vince Hughes
• Laura Nevitt, Executive Director, Keystone Progress
• Ginny Mazzei, Member, Action Together NEPA
• Tammy Murphy, Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy, Make the Road PA
• Steve Catanese, SEIU State Council and President, SEIU 668

At this event we are urging Pennsylvanians to recognize the difference between legislators and legislative candidates who support our agenda—at this moment only Democrats—and those who oppose it; and vote for the Democratic candidates who support our agenda.

MISSION: Pennsylvanians work hard—not just for ourselves and our families but for our communities. We know that our success as individuals and as Pennsylvanians is a product of both our hard work and our common efforts. Throughout the 20th century, engaged Pennsylvanians joined through community groups, advocacy organizations, and labor unions to bring us high wages, strong unions, public education at all levels, the protection of civil rights, and more. Together, we Pennsylvanians created a vibrant economy and a strong middle class.

Pennsylvanians Together is a campaign working to ensure that all Pennsylvanians can thrive—not just survive. For too long, we’ve let politicians, who serve the interests of corporations, and the rich divide us based on what we look like, where we come from, where we worship, how much money we have or whether we are native-born or immigrants. By dividing us, they have given us public policies that do too little to help most Pennsylvanians, while making the rich and corporations even wealthier.

WHO WE ARE: We come from every corner of the state.

WE ARE RICH AND POOR, BLACK, BROWN, AND WHITE. WE ARE NATIVE-BORN AND WE ARE IMMIGRANTS, BOTH DOCUMENTED AND UNDOCUMENTED.

We are Pennsylvanians, working together to create a commonwealth where WE ALL CAN thrive, not just survive.

September 27, 2024

As Fair Share America Launches, New Poll Shows Pennsylvanians Support Higher Taxes on the Ultra-Rich and Big Corporations

By Blog Post, Press Release

As Fair Share America Launches, New Poll Shows Pennsylvanians Support Higher Taxes on the Ultra-Rich and Big Corporations

As Pennsylvanians Together brought a group of 25 Pennsylvanians to Washington, D.C., this week to take part in the September 18th launch of “Fair Share America,” a new, national campaign for tax justice, the organization released the toplines of a new national / state poll carried out by Data for Progress.

Results for each of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts, state House districts, and state Senate districts will be released soon.

The campaign will work both nationally and within individual states to ensure that wealthy individuals and profitable, multinational corporations pay their fair share of taxes. If they do so, federal and state governments will have the revenue they need to take bold steps toward fully and fairly funding education, reducing the cost of health care and housing, and helping families that are struggling to take care of children.

Likely Voters in Pennsylvania Toplines

Profitable corporations are not paying enough in state taxes ………………..………………………. 76%

The wealthiest households are not paying enough in taxes ………………………………………….  76%

Taxes should be increased for households earning more than $400,000 per year ………….….….  77%

Child tax credits should be increased ……………………………………………………………………. 72%

Methodology

From August 6 to August 13, 2024, Data for Progress conducted a U.S. national survey of 8,017 likely voters using web panel respondents to gauge voter support for state and federal action to fund public programs and hold profitable corporations and the wealthy accountable to pay their fair share of taxes. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education level, race, and geography. The survey was conducted in English.

By matching survey results to the list of registered voters in congressional districts, Data for Progress was able to create a model for every district in Pennsylvania using a statistical technique called MRP (multi-level regression with poststratification).

For a complete explanation of the methodology and more information about the data, please copy this link and paste into your browser’s search field: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://pennpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/dfp_sra_mrp_2024_release_tabs.pdf

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September 19, 2024

Press Release – National ITEP Study: Undocumented Immigrants Contribute $523,100,000 in PA Taxes Per Year

By Policy Briefs, Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29, 2024 

Contact: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org or Jon Whiten at ITEP, jon@itep.org or 917-655-3313 

National Study: Undocumented Immigrants Contribute $523,100,000 in PA Taxes Per Year  

Pennsylvania Policy Center Joins Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy on PA-Specific Release 

Immigration policies have taken center stage in public debates this year, but much of the conversation has been driven by emotion, not data. A new, in-depth national study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) aims to help change that by quantifying how much undocumented immigrants pay in taxes, both nationally and in each state.  

Here in Pennsylvania, undocumented immigrants contributed $523,100,000 in state and local taxes in 2022 — a number that would have risen to $667,000,000 if these taxpayers had been granted work authorization, according to the study.  

Other key findings:  

  • Nationally, undocumented immigrants contributed $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. Of this, $37.3 billion went to state and local governments.  
  • For every one million undocumented immigrants who reside in the country, public services receive $8.9 billion in additional tax revenue. On the flip side, for every one million undocumented immigrants who are deported, public services stand to lose $8.9 billion in tax revenue.  
  • Nationally, providing access to work authorization to all current undocumented immigrants would increase their tax contributions by $40.2 billion per year to $136.9 billion.  
  • More than a third of the tax dollars paid by undocumented immigrants are toward payroll taxes dedicated to funding programs — like Social Security and Medicare — that these workers are barred from accessing.  
  • Similarly, income tax payments by undocumented immigrants are affected by laws that require them to pay more than otherwise similarly situated U.S. citizens; as one example, they are often barred from receiving meaningful tax credits like the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit. However, many states have made their versions of these credits more immigrant-inclusive in recent years.  
  • In PA and 39 other states, undocumented immigrants pay higher state and local tax rates than the top 1 percent of households living within their borders. 

“This study is the most comprehensive look at how much undocumented immigrants pay in taxes. And what it shows is that they pay quite a lot, to the tune of nearly $100 billion a year,” said Marco Guzman, ITEP senior policy analyst and co-author of the study. “The bottom line here is that regardless of immigration status, we all contribute by paying our taxes.”   

In Pennsylvania, $183,600,000 of the tax contributions are through sales and excise taxes, while $139,600,000 are through property taxes, and $185,300,000 are through personal or business income taxes.  

Marc Stier, executive director of the Pennsylvania Policy Center, said, “While this study is the most comprehensive analysis of taxes paid by undocumented immigrants, it is worth noting that it does not attempt to quantify broader impacts that flow from the increased economic activity created by these individuals. Taking those economic ripple effects into account would likely reveal undocumented immigrants to have an even larger significance to public revenues than is documented here.” 

Patty Torres, co-deputy director of Make the Road Pennsylvania commented on the study, “This study is another reminder that undocumented immigrants are contributing to our economies and our shared public services, and that immigration policy choices made in the years ahead will have significant consequences for public revenues.” Make the Road Pennsylvania is a partner organization with CASA and the Pennsylvanians Together campaign of the Pennsylvania Policy Center.  

“The value that immigrants offer to Pennsylvania is indispensable to the economy. According to ITEP, undocumented immigrants paid an average effective state and local tax of 8.9% toward funding infrastructure, services, and institutions in their home states like Pennsylvania, as measured relative to their incomes. This is juxtaposed by the most affluent taxpayers who pay just 7.2% in their home state,” said Daniel Alvalle, CASA’s Pennsylvania director. “More than that, immigrant families are part of our society, with everyone intertwined into one community: parents, teachers, children, custodians, healthcare workers, and so much more. Where we live is where we play and work. Our tax system should reflect the contributions that everyone makes, including immigrant workers.” 

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July 29, 2024
Photo of PA capitol building, shot from far above with a slight fish eye effect. Sunny and warm colors.

PPC Releases 2024–25 Pennsylvania State Budget Analysis – Part One

By Budget Analysis, Policy Briefs, Press Release, Press Statements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2024

CONTACT: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org

NEW ANALYSIS:  PENNSYLVANIA POLICY CENTER 2024-25 STATE BUDGET

Harrisburg, PA—Today the Pennsylvania Policy Center (PPC) released a new paper, “The Fiscal 2024–25 Pennsylvania Budget,” by executive director, Marc Stier. The analysis examines Governor Shapiro’s second budget and highlights funding successes as well as  failures.

In February, PPC called Governor Shapiro’s executive budget proposal A Pennsylvania Budget to Celebrate. After criticizing a 2023–24 budget that included the right priorities but inadequate funding for them, we wrote that the budget presented by Governor Shapiro today not only has the right priorities but provides the funding needed to meet them—at least in the next fiscal year. The investments the Governor proposes for public K–12 education, higher education, economic development, housing, and other priorities are substantial and bold. And as important as the proposed new funding is, the Governor’s budget also recognizes the need for Pennsylvania to do some things differently in all these areas.

The budget enacted by the General Assembly has many of the good features that Governor Shapiro proposed and also the funding to match them. There are some major new initiatives—but there are also some major missed opportunities. In many respects, it falls short of Governor Shapiro’s proposals and in some cases falls far short of them.

Stier commented, “This is disappointing. And Pennsylvanians should know why. While most of the Governor’s proposals received strong, and sometimes bipartisan, support in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, they were rejected in the Republican-controlled Senate—and that is despite the best efforts of the Senate Democratic leadership to move them forward.”

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July 26, 2024

NEW REPORT: ‘School Funding in PA Remains Inadequate and Inequitable’ 

By Press Release

June 27, 2024

 

CONTACT: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org  

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

 

NEW REPORT: School Funding in PA Remains Inadequate and Inequitable 

 

Harrisburg, PA—Today the Pennsylvania Policy Center released a new paper, “School Funding in PA Remains Inadequate and Inequitable,” by executive director Marc Stier. The paper highlights the need for proper education spending allowances in the 2024–25 state budget as mandated in the Commonwealth Court ruling on the matter.  

 

“As the budget deadline looms, this report brings into clearer focus the incredible injustice of Pennsylvania’s school funding,” Stier said. He added, “The most recent data on the distribution of funding among our school districts reaffirms the central conclusion of the school funding lawsuit, as well as decades of analysis: A pattern of funding in which school districts with a high share of students living in poverty or who are Black or Hispanic are the worst off is a clear affront to our state’s constitution and to the promise of equality of opportunity that has long been the touchstone of our state and country. It is also offensive to human decency and morality. The time to fix this problem is now.” 

 

BACKGROUND: Year after year, Pennsylvania Policy Center, our predecessor organization (PBPC) and many others have released research showing both that the vast majority of Pennsylvania K-12 school districts are underfunded and that school districts with a high share of students who come from impoverished families or are Black or Hispanic are disproportionately among them. 

 

That analysis was accepted by Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer who ruled that Pennsylvania’s system of K-12 school funding is unconstitutional. 

 

And yet, with less than a week to go before the fiscal year 2024–25 budget is due, there are still members of the General Assembly who refuse to accept these basic facts. 

 

So here we put forward our most recent update of the data we have provided in the past: estimates of the per-student funding gap in Pennsylvania’s five hundred K-12 school districts divided based on the share of students who live in poverty or who are Black or Hispanic.  Read the report here.  

 

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June 27, 2024

Pennsylvania Policy Center and Pennsylvanians Together Budget Summit Release

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org

PRESS RELEASE

 

Pennsylvanians Together, Partners Hold Rally to Demand Tax Justice in PA NOW!

12-Foot Inflatable Corporate Fat Cat, ‘Mr. Riggs’ Made Appearance in Capitol

Harrisburg, PA—Today in the Capitol Rotunda, Pennsylvania Policy Center’s Pennsylvanians Together campaign and partners, including SEIU, CASA, Action Together NEPA, Make the Road, and others from across the Commonwealth joined together for a rally to call upon lawmakers to right the state’s upside-down tax system and demand tax justice NOW!

Pennsylvania has THE MOST unfair tax structure in the country. And now—budget season—is the time to demand a fair share tax plan to pay for the things working families need to not just survive but thrive—things like a fully and equitably funded education for our kids, affordable housing, and a livable minimum wage.

Mr. Riggs, the 12-foot inflatable corporate fat cat, was in attendance, joined by partners and scores of activists from across the state, along with speakers:

  • Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center
  • Dwayne Heisler, Campaigns Director, Pennsylvanians Together
  • Jody Weinrich, SEIU / PA Joint Board
  • Senator Art Haywood (D)
  • Angelo Ortega, Make the Road PA
  • Hillary Rothrock, SEIU HCPA, United Home Care Workers
  • Daniel Alvalle, CASA
  • Jessica Britain, Action Together, NEPA

QUOTES

Marc Stier: “Pennsylvanians Together is here at the state Capitol today to call for economic justice now and in the future. In the short term, we call for using the $14 billion state surplus to fund the first few years of the seven-year plan to fund k-12 education fully and fairly. In the long term, we call for ensuring that wealthy individuals and multinational corporations pay their fair share of taxes. That would give us the revenue we need to fund the whole K-12 plan as well as make the investments in workforce training and higher education we need to create opportunity and prosperity for all.”

Senator Haywood: “Our tax system is rigged against us. Reducing taxation on everyday people and making the rich pay their fair share is the first step toward fairness.”

Dwayne Heisler: “The Pennsylvanians Together campaign works to ensure that all Pennsylvanians can thrive—not just survive. For too long, we’ve let politicians, who serve the interests of corporations, and the rich divide us based on what we look like, where we come from, where we worship, how much money we have or whether we are native-born or immigrants. By dividing us, they have given us public policies that do too little to help most Pennsylvanians while making the rich and corporations even wealthier. That’s why we demand tax justice now!”

Angelo Ortega: “Whether the problem is storm damage or neglect by previous owners many families in Pennsylvania live in houses that could be wonderful places to live if only they had some care. They might need a major improvement or minor ones. But the costs for these repairs are often beyond the means of the families that own these homes.”

“Fortunately, the Whole-Home Repairs program provides the funds. And when the repairs are made, it benefits not just the family that lives in the home but their neighbors and the local community. But the initial money for the program has run out in most counties in Pennsylvania, so now is the time to add new funding. More money for the Whole-Home Repairs program means we can help more families who need it.”

Hillary Rothrock: “Every month is a struggle to pay my rent, my bills, put food on the table, and pay for medical care. I have medical bills that I make payments on to afford them…” “I have no benefits, no health insurance, no paid sick or vacation time, no 401K or pension. I don’t even get overtime pay or holiday pay.”

“I’m proud to pay my fair share in taxes. But it isn’t fair that my rate is more than double the rate paid by the top 1% of families whose incomes average $1.9 million a year!”

Jody Weinrich: “I believe people … shouldn’t have to live with relatives because they can’t afford housing on minimum wage. And how can anyone think about retirement when they’re making so little?”

“I believe people should be able to take their kids to the park, out to a restaurant, or to see a movie without worrying about money. We deserve a livable wage so we can have dignity in our work. Pennsylvania should be a place where working people can thrive, not just survive.”

Jessica Britain: “I’m here to say that I’m not interested in what we can’t do…what we can do is make a historic, constitutionally and Commonwealth Court-mandated investment in ALL public schools around the Commonwealth.”

“Every student deserves…a safe, healthy learning environment so they can thrive and succeed in school today and live productive, fulfilling lives after graduation.”

 

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June 3, 2024

38 Statewide Orgs Call on PA Congress Members to Pass Bipartisan Child Tax Credit

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 January 29, 2024

Contact: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org

Nearly Forty Statewide Organizations Call on PA Congressional Delegation to Pass Bipartisan Child Tax Credit 

Harrisburg, PA — Today a diverse, ad hoc coalition of 38 organizations in Pennsylvania sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation, urging Senator Bob Casey, Senator John Fetterman, and Pennsylvania’s 17 US representatives to support and champion a bipartisan bill that would cut childhood poverty by expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The Tax Relief for American Families & Workers Act (House Resolution 7024) would expand the CTC and benefit 19 million children in low-income families — 1 in 5 children under age 17 — including more than half a million (506,000) in Pennsylvania. The bill was advanced by the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this month in a 40–3 vote and could come to the House floor this week. 

 The Pennsylvania Policy Center (PPC), one of the groups that signed the letter, found in its analysis of the legislation that the expansion of the CTC would lift 400,000 children nationwide out of poverty in the first year, including 16,000 in Pennsylvania. Another 3 million kids across the county would be made less poor — 120,000 of them in Pennsylvania. At present, 19 million children in the country receive less than the full credit because of the current “refundability cap,” which limits benefits to families with incomes below $40,000. In a January 19th statement, PPC reported that the proposed legislation lifts the cap from the current limit of $1,600 per child to $1,800 per child for tax year 2023 and $1,900 per child in tax year 2024, lifting the cap entirely in 2025 so that the maximum credit of $2,000 will be available to all families.” 

Organizations that signed the letter include the United Way of Pennsylvania, regional and local food banks, Latino advocacy organizations, and progressive activists’ groups. The letter notes that the temporary expansion of the CTC in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan was much larger than what is proposed in HR 7024, stating that “we fervently hope that a similar program will be enacted in the future … [but the] current legislation, which is rightly targeted to benefit the lowest-income families, is a necessary and promising first step in that direction.” 

  

LIST OF SIGNERS:
AccessMatters
Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania
Americans for Democratic Action Southeastern Pennsylvania
CASA / CASA in Action
Ceiba
Children First
Coalition for Low Income Pennsylvanians
Community Legal Services
The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania
Cumberland County Food System Alliance
Food Helpers/DBA Gr. Washington County Food Bank
The Food Trust
Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank
The HUB for Progress
Hunger-Free Pennsylvania
Indiana County Community Action Program, Inc.
Just Harvest
Lycoming County Progressives
Make the Road Pennsylvania
Manna on Main Street
Mercer County Food Bank
National Council of Jewish Women – Pennsylvania
New Pennsylvania Project
NextGen America
One Pennsylvania
Partnership for Better Health
Pennsylvania Policy Center
Philabundance
Philly Neighborhood Networks
Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
Project SHARE of Carlisle
School Nutrition Association of Pennsylvania
Share Food Program
Shippensburg Produce Outreach, Inc
United Way of Pennsylvania
Westmoreland Food Bank 

  

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Statement on Federal Child Tax Credit Expansion – Pennsylvania Policy Center 

A post from Pennsylvania Policy Center on Pennsylvania Policy Center provided by: https://pennpolicy.org 

 

January 29, 2024

Press Release: Taxes in Pennsylvania Are Upside-Down

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2024

 Contact: Kirstin Snow at Penn Policy Center snow@pennpolicy.org or Jon Whiten at ITEP jon@itep.org.

RELEASE: Pennsylvania’s Tax System Exacerbates Inequality, In-Depth National Study Finds

State Has the 4th-most Regressive Tax Code in the Nation

Harrisburg, PA — Pennsylvania’s tax system is upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lower share of their income to taxes than low- and middle-income families. That’s according to the latest edition of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy’s Who Pays?, the only distributional analysis of tax systems in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In sharing the data, Marc Stier said, “The new report from our national partner, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, shows that Pennsylvania has one of the most upside-down state and local tax systems in the country. We should be ashamed to live in a state with the highest rate of taxation for the bottom 20% of families arranged by income and in which those families’ taxes are more than twice the rate of the top 1%’s.”

In his response to the data, Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery and Philadelphia) said, “It is clear that the tax dollars of everyday Pennsylvanians are being vacuumed up to the richest. In the last decade, seven billion dollars have been vacuumed up to the richest in Pennsylvanians. We can change our taxation system so that everyday, hard-working people are no longer left behind.”

Also addressing the new report, Representative Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) said, “In a state where the bottom 60% percent of income earners on average pay at or nearly double the tax rate of what the richest Pennsylvanians pay, it’s time ALL residents pay their fair share.

“The Fair Share Tax Plan bill — HB 1773 — will correct the long-standing injustice of this #taxpolicy by increasing the tax on passive income from things like net profits, dividends, net gains derived from rents, royalties, patents and copyrights and net gains derived through estates and trust.

“As a result, HB 1773 will generate an additional $6 billion in revenues all while lowering or maintaining the tax rate for the vast majority of Pennsylvanians.”

The report’s key findings for Pennsylvania (See presentation from the event here.):

  • The lowest-income 20 percent of taxpayers face a state and local tax rate that is 152 percent higher than the top 1 percent of households. The average effective state and local tax rate is 15.1 percent for the lowest-income 20 percent of individuals and families, 11.4 percent for the middle 20 percent, and 6 percent for the top 1 percent.
  • Pennsylvania has the 4th-most regressive tax system in the nation.
  • Pennsylvania is one of 41 states that tax the top 1 percent less than every other income group, and it is one of 34 states that taxes its poorest residents at a higher rate than any other group.

Nationally, tax systems in 44 states exacerbate inequality by making incomes more unequal after collecting state and local taxes, while systems in six states plus D.C. reduce inequality, the report finds. On average, across the country, the lowest-income 20 percent of taxpayers face a state and local tax rate nearly 60 percent higher than the top 1 percent of households. The nationwide average effective state and local tax rate is 11.3 percent for the lowest-income 20 percent of individuals and families, 10.5 percent for the middle 20 percent, and 7.2 percent for the top 1 percent.

“When you ask people what they think a fair tax code looks like, almost nobody says we should have the richest pay the least. And yet when we look around the country, the vast majority of states have tax systems that do just that,” says Carl Davis, ITEP’s research director. “There’s an alarming gap here between what the public wants and what state lawmakers have delivered.”

PA-specific polling data on taxing corporations and the ultra-wealthy can be found here.

Recent policy changes have exacerbated or lessened regressivity in state tax systems, depending on the choices made by lawmakers.

About the report:

Who Pays? is the only distributional analysis of tax systems in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The comprehensive 7th edition of the report assesses the progressivity and regressivity of state tax systems by measuring effective state and local tax rates paid by all income groups. No two state tax systems are the same; this report provides detailed analyses of the features of every state tax code. It includes state-by-state profiles that provide baseline data to help lawmakers and the public understand how current tax policies affect taxpayers at all income levels. More than 99 percent of all state and local taxes, measured by their revenue contribution, are included in the analysis.

About ITEP:

ITEP is a non-profit, non-partisan tax policy organization. We conduct rigorous analyses of tax and economic proposals and provide data-driven recommendations on how to shape equitable and sustainable tax systems. ITEP’s expertise and data uniquely enhance federal, state, and local policy debates by revealing how taxes affect people at various levels of income and wealth, and people of different races and ethnicities.

About Pennsylvania Policy Center:

 Through its research and policy development, the Pennsylvania Policy Center creates the tools political officials, opinion leaders, grassroots organizations, and the people of Pennsylvania need to expand our vibrant democracy, secure our freedom, and seek economic justice in Pennsylvania. Our work draws on a close connection to Pennsylvanians in every corner of the state, who tell us the problems they face, and robust and credible public policy research and analysis that identifies the sources of these problems and proposes solutions. These tools enable Pennsylvanians in and out of government to make their voices heard and create public policies that reflect their ideals and serve their interests.

Pennsylvania Policy Center is the state affiliate of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

 

 

January 10, 2024

Penn Policy Center Statement on PA Budget Passage

By Blog Post, Press Release, Press Statement

July 5, 2023

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org

Penn Policy Center Statement on Budget Passage

Governor Shapiro’s letter announcing that he would line-item veto the appropriation for vouchers in the budget passed by the Senate last week clears the way for the House to also pass the budget and send it to the Governor for his signature.

Enacting a budget that doesn’t include a voucher plan is a victory, especially because that plan would have likely been a first step toward the destruction of public education in Pennsylvania. We are grateful to Democrats in both the House and the Senate for standing strong against vouchers.

Sadly, while the enacted budget is likely the best that can be achieved at this date, it is not a good one. While it includes bout a 5% increase in total spending, after taking inflation into account, the increase is not substantial. If not for what House Majority Leader Matt Bradford aptly called the “distraction” of the voucher issue, Governor Shapiro could and should have worked more closely with the Democrats in the legislature to reach an agreement with Senate Republicans on a better budget, one closer to the budget passed by the House a month ago. Such a budget would have:

  • provided the additional funding for basic education, special education, the Level Up program, and the remediation of toxic schools needed to meet the requirement of the Commonwealth Court decision on school funding.
  • invested more than an additional $50 million in the Whole-Home Repairs program.
  • provided more funding for subsidized child care and pre-K education.
  • excluded a cut in funds for gun violence prevention, at a time when those programs have had some positive impact in cities around the state.
  • included a long overdue increase in the minimum wage in our state.

And at this point, the General Assembly has not passed funding for Temple, Pitt, and Penn State, which means that in-state tuitions at those institutions, which is already among the highest in the country, will skyrocket.

These and many other needed public investments in higher education, —which we will detail in a more complete review of the budget in a few weeks—could have been paid for by the accumulated $13 billion surplus without raising taxes on Pennsylvanians.

So while avoiding the worst outcome, this budget fails to deliver all that Pennsylvanians need from our state government.  Democrats in the General Assembly and the House Democratic leadership did step forward this year and enacted a far better budget than we have seen in many years. But they didn’t get the help they needed from the governor to get their plans enacted against the opposition of Senate Republicans.

 

The Pennsylvania Policy Center creates the tools that political officials, opinion leaders, grassroots organizations, and the people of PA need to expand our vibrant democracy, secure our freedom, and seek economic justice in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Policy Center

 

July 5, 2023

PRESS RELEASE: Update on PA Budget Negotiations

By Press Release
July 3, 2023

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org

Update on Budget Negotiations

With $13 billion in accumulated surplus and a budget from the governor that proposed modest additions to state spending on policies that have broad support, one would expect that making a budget deal would be easy.

Yet the budget deadline came and went.

House Democrats passed a budget four weeks ago with more funding for a number of programs, including education, where they added to basic education funding and special education funding, and added the popular Level Up program back into the budget. They then passed a minimum wage bill that was not perfect but would put Pennsylvania on a path to $15. Governor Shapiro embraced both plans.

Senate Republicans passed a profoundly flawed budget, at the last minute, that rejected most of the House plan. Its worst element, however, was the inclusion of a $100 million down payment on a radical plan, sponsored by extremist billionaires like Betsy Devos and Jeffrey Yass, to destroy our public school system. Then they left town.

The House Democrats had already made clear that there will be no voucher program adopted this year or for as long as they are in the House majority. (And given that their stance on all the critical issues is totally aligned with the majority in public polls, they may well be in the majority for a long time.)

So, we’re back to square one.

How did we get here?

First, negotiations started later than usual. There were new political circumstances: a Democratic House majority that did not really take power until the special elections in March, a new governor, and new leadership in the Senate. The new people, with power in their hands, had to take time to build relationships, internally and externally, and learn the ropes of the budget process.

Second, in an extraordinary display of political chutzpah, having lost the education funding case in court, the Republicans tried to twist the decision—which calls for a new, fair system of funding public schools—into a mandate to radically restructure our education system by privatizing schools.

Third, the Republicans not only misread the opinion of the courts but may have misread Governor Shapiro as well. The governor signaled his willingness to support a modest Lifeline scholarship program during his campaign and has continued to do so ever since. However, his support was contingent on funding public schools fully and fairly. When public schools are so radically underfunded, any allotment of money for vouchers takes away critical funds from these schools. And the Senate Republican budget does far less than the House Democratic budget. While the Governor has not been as clear as we’d like, we hope his unwillingness to embrace the Senate budget indicates that he’s having second thoughts about the school voucher plan. As he thinks about his political future, the Governor must be concerned that the endorsement of the Senate plan by anti-government extremists Betsy Devos and Grover Norquist reveals that Republicans see Lifeline scholarships not as a supplement to public schools, but as a foot in the door for a radical restructuring of education funding in Pennsylvania.

Fourth, it appears that many Republicans don’t understand that they lost the last election: in fact, their gubernatorial candidate lost in a landslide. They lost the House majority for the first time in over a decade. While Senate Republicans did not lose seats—mostly because that chamber remains more gerrymandered than the House—the political landscape has shifted. But Republican expectations have not shifted with them.

The Republicans can legitimately claim a role in setting funding levels in the budget. But there seems to be a faction among Senate Republicans that is taking its cues from national Republicans, who think they can hold hostage any necessary government action—whether it is a state budget or an agreement to avoid default—until they get their way, no matter how radical their proposals are. This is, sadly, a product of the belief among Republican extremists that theirs is the only legitimate governing party. That, however, is not the view of most Pennsylvanians. Democrats here in Pennsylvania are not going to embrace extremist, radical ideas in the budget process any more than President Biden allowed it in Washington.

And fifth, Senate Republicans apparently believe that any delay in the budget will be blamed on Governor Shapiro. They fail to understand that, even before his effective leadership in managing the recent I-95 repair, the governor is widely admired and is in the best possible position to wait for them to accept political reality. And the Governor surely understands that the radical intent of the Lifeline program is deeply unpopular with Democrats, not just in Pennsylvania but around the country.

The House Democrats have accepted political reality. They have enacted many of their proposals (which are, frankly, progressive) but have done so in ways that have not pushed the envelope; and on many issues, they have won Republican support. When the Senate Republicans recognize political reality as well, they will be able to strike a budget deal with the House Democrats and Governor Shapiro.

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The Pennsylvania Policy Center creates the tools that political officials, opinion leaders, grassroots organizations, and the people of Pennsylvania need to expand our vibrant democracy, secure our freedom, and seek economic justice in Pennsylvania.

www.pennpolicy.org
July 3, 2023