MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Last week the 99% PA campaign released a new report that shows how billionaires in Pennsylvania are having a tremendous influence over our politics. Check out the full report below. And in light of record temperatures this week, take a look at our recommendations for federal climate legislation that will help to reduce climate change and improve the economy.
Thank you for supporting our work,
Stephen Herzenberg
Executive Director
New Report Shows Billionaires Buying Federal Elections, Putting Democracy at Risk
7/13/22 | Press Release
The 99% Pennsylvania campaign released a new report today in coordination with Americans for Tax Fairness showing that America’s billionaires are pumping tens of millions of dollars into the 2022 midterm elections, mostly backing Republican candidates for Congress who will cut taxes for the ultra-rich and the corporations they own. The report finds that many of the candidates and lawmakers receiving billionaires’ campaign contributions are undermining our democracy by supporting the January 6, 2021, insurrection to overthrow election results. The report reveals that Pennsylvania’s wealthiest billionaire, Wall Street trader Jeffrey Yass, has already contributed $28.5 million in the 2022 cycle to right-wing political candidates, many of them election deniers, and groups.
Read more.
RECOMPETE Act Offers Support for Realizing ReImagined Appalachian Communities
The prospects for a reconciliation bill with historic climate provisions was set back late last week by Senator Manchin’s joining all 50 Republican US senators in saying he is not willing to vote for that bill at least until after the early August announcement of the July inflation figure. Another bill in Congress still has a chance to pass that could include provisions that benefit Appalachian coal country—a bipartisan innovation bill, a different version of which passed the U.S. House earlier this session. These two blogs make the case for including a $4 billion that would target 10 years of economic development assistance to distressed communities across the county, including in the coal country footprint of the ReImagine Appalachia campaign.
Blog post: RECOMPETE Act Offers Support for Realizing ReImagined Appalachian Communities
Summary: RECOMPETE Act Editorial Board Memo
Save the Date for Give Day – August 3, 2022
Mark your calendars for our third physically distant, socially engaging CELEBRATION of progressive policy work in Pennsylvania.
Running 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3, we’ll be hosting an engaging online Day of Giving to celebrate and support the work of the Keystone Research Center and Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, as well as the We The People – Pennsylvania and 99% PA campaigns. There will be LIVE social media events, virtual trivia, and much more.
We are excited to host this event, which includes our entire community, from long-term partners to those who follow us on Facebook. Your support of our research and advocacy work around economic opportunity, unions, fair taxation, health care, education, voting, protecting our independent judiciary, and other policies—is more important than ever in the face of current events.
From our Facebook followers to our top activists, our partner organizations, our board members, and our sponsors—we couldn’t do this work without you. Thank you so much for being an integral part of the work we do.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) on August 3rd!
IN THE NEWS
Pennsylvania Capital-Star | July 13, 2022
“Marc Stier, director of the progressive Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, said in a statement that the new budget, ‘is a deep disappointment for Pennsylvania.’
Stier has been a longtime supporter of the state adopting combined reporting, which is used in 28 other states. It would require that corporations merge profits from each of their subsidiaries, inside and outside of Pennsylvania’s border, to determine their taxable income.
Combined reporting mandates are not included in the 2022-23 state budget.
‘The huge accumulate surplus gave the Republican-controlled General Assembly an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in the lives of everyday Pennsylvanians,’ Stier said. ‘Sadly, they failed to take advantage of it. Given a choice between helping working people who vote for them and the corporations who give them campaign contributions, they chose to help the latter.’”
PA Council of Churches Blog | July 14, 2022
“The 99% Pennsylvania campaign released a new report today in coordination with Americans for Tax Fairness showing that America’s billionaires are pumping tens of millions of dollars into the 2022 midterm elections, mostly backing Republican candidates for Congress who will cut taxes for the ultra-rich and the corporations they own. The report finds that many of the candidates and lawmakers receiving billionaire campaign contributions are undermining our democracy by supporting the January 6th, 2021, insurrection to overthrow election results. The report reveals that Pennsylvania’s wealthiest billionaire, Wall Street trader Jeffrey Yass, has already contributed $28.5 million in the 2022 cycle to right-wing political candidates, many of them election deniers, and groups.”