Policy Pillars Erected for State’s ‘Great Compromise’ Budget

The possible parameters for a state budget compromise emerged this week in a window across the street from the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. The Commonwealth Foundation, a free market think tank headquartered just steps from the building’s grand rotunda, unveiled signage for its “Shapiro’s Promises” campaign – in reference to Josh Shapiro’s overtures for bipartisan cooperation during his first term as governor. By all appearances, negotiating his first spending plan – with a Republican-majority Senate and Democratic-majority House – serves as a de facto litmus test for the strength of that promise. The possibilities leave the foundation, whose policy positions typically align with legislative Republicans, feeling optimistic.