A Path to Affordability For Our Common Wealth

Posted by Penn Policy Center on March 10, 2026

As Pennsylvania lawmakers begin negotiations over the state budget and confront growing fiscal pressures, the Pennsylvania Policy Center released three new policy briefs that detail a path to affordability for working families across the Commonwealth.  

The briefs examine three key policy tools that can help strengthen household budgets while putting the Commonwealth on more stable fiscal footing: 

• Raising wages so every worker earns a living wage 
• Modernizing the tax code so the wealthiest households and large corporations pay their fair share  
• Investing in working families through targeted tax credits 

Together, the briefs form part of Pennsylvanians Together: For Our Common Wealth, a statewide campaign advancing tax fairness and economic security across Pennsylvania. 

“At a moment when families are facing rising costs and the Commonwealth is confronting serious fiscal pressures, policymakers need solutions that strengthen household budgets while building sustainable public revenue,” said Felicity A. Williams, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Policy Center. “These policy briefs show that Pennsylvania has the tools to do both.” 

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