Pennsylvania's #1 Special Interest Problem
Keeping special interests in check begins with prohibiting conflicts of interest between government unions and elected officials and restricting—not expanding—governments’ taxing power.
Political Spending by Government Unions During the 2014 Election
The evidence is overwhelming: Unions use members' dues and taxpayer resources to push their political agenda. By passing paycheck protection, Pennsylvania can move toward leveling the political playing field, making Pennsylvania fairer for all those engaged in the political process.
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The Real "Special Interest" Problem in PA
Everyone loves to hate "special interests." They spend millions of dollars in electing and lobbying public officials in order to gain political or legislative favor. So it was no surprise when groups like PennFuture and the Keystone Research Center's Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center joined with Common Cause PA and the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters to attack individuals affiliated with the natural gas industry for giving $2 million in state campaign contributions over the past
Read More >Campaign Finance Limits Destroy Democracy
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court recently upheld Philadelphia's law limiting the amount of money that an individual can contribute to a political candidate. While advocates of campaign contribution limits cheered the decision, Pennsylvanians who cherish First Amendment speech rights should regard it as a loss. The decision resulted from a lawsuit filed before the 2007 Philadelphia mayor's primary, the first with contribution limits. The primary campaign revealed the dangers of attempts by governmen
Read More >Campaign Finance Limits & Public Funding
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering legislation that would limit campaign contributions and would allow for taxpayer financing of gubernatorial campaigns. This legislation is based on the “Clean Election” model passed by Arizona in 1998, New Jersey in 2005, and the Federal laws passed in the mid 1970s. While appealing at first blush, these laws fail to lead to the benefits touted by proponents and, in the process, curtail citizens’ free speech.
Read More >Memo to Senate State Government Committee Members
MEMORANDUM TO: Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee Members (Senators Piccola, Folmer, A. Williams, Scarnati, Brubaker, Corman, Punt, McIhinney, Fontana, Hughes, and Tartaglione) FROM: Commonwealth Foundation, Democracy Rising PA, Rock the Capital, Young Conservatives of PA, PA Clean Sweep, PA Council of Churches, PA Accountability Project, Taxpayers and Ratepayers United, and Citizens for Legislator Accountability
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