Pennsylvania’s Policy Battles: Energy Independence, School Choice, and America 250 | Andrew Lewis

Summary

Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Episode: Pennsylvania’s Policy Battles: Energy Independence, School Choice, and America 250
Guest: Andrew Lewis (President, Commonwealth Foundation)
Host: Jack (on behalf of Victor Davis Hanson)
Date: Recorded February 25, 2026 | Released March 5, 2026

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Overview

This episode centers on Pennsylvania's significance in national policy debates and the ongoing battles over energy independence, school choice, and the approaching 250th anniversary of American independence. Host Jack interviews Andrew Lewis, president of the influential Commonwealth Foundation, to discuss the state’s legacy, current challenges, and the foundation's vision for securing liberty and prosperity for future generations. Key themes include Pennsylvania's pivotal role in American history and politics, the nature of energy policy and opportunity, major developments in education reform, and reflection on national identity as America’s semiquincentennial approaches.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pennsylvania’s Unique Role in America

• Historical Leadership (04:46–07:03)

  • Lewis highlights Pennsylvania’s instrumental place in the U.S. story—from Philadelphia’s constitutional significance and Valley Forge, to launching the coal and oil industries.
  • Pennsylvania now stands as both the largest swing state and a bellwether for national policy, possessing immense leverage with 19 electoral votes.

• Why State-Level Think Tanks Matter (04:46–07:03)

  • The Commonwealth Foundation transforms “great free market ideas into public policy... then we want to go and get those proposals turned into law.”
  • Since 1987, achievements include halting 11 tax hikes, preventing over $33 billion in extra spending, and enabling over 100,000 scholarships through innovative education programs.

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2. Energy Independence & Opportunity

• Energy Revolution (11:50–15:21)

  • Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus and Utica shale, with enough reserves to “power the entire nation’s electric grid... for an entire century” (A. Lewis, 11:53).
  • The state is now “the nation’s number one exporter of electricity,” surpassing even Texas in energy-producing counties.

• Cross-Border Policy Contrasts (11:50–15:21)

  • Neighboring New York, having banned fracking, faces electricity costs “56% higher than the average” due to “draconian green New Deal policies” (A. Lewis, 12:43).
  • Lewis critiques mandates for unreliable renewables: “They did this in Spain… and there was a huge blackout… When you don’t have power in the 21st century, lives are threatened, and Pennsylvania people freeze to death” (A. Lewis, 01:04 & 13:10).

• Governance & Industry Impact (16:03–17:45)

  • Current Governor Shapiro’s “lightning plan” pushes for 50% renewables in the state’s energy portfolio, up from 18%, which Lewis argues would threaten reliability.
  • The Commonwealth Foundation fought and defeated a substantial energy tax proposal.

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3. Education Reform & School Choice

• Personal Commitment and Legislative Action (07:35–08:18)

  • Lewis discusses his journey and legislative efforts: “School choice is a gateway to the American dream… I introduced the biggest universal school choice bill that had ever been introduced to date” (A. Lewis, 07:38).

• Federal Education Tax Credit Program (18:59–20:45)

  • A new nationwide tax credit, rooted in Pennsylvania’s model, will allow citizens to donate up to $1,700 to scholarship organizations—helping children “trapped in failing schools” attend a school of their choice.
  • Each state must opt in; Lewis questions why Governor Shapiro hasn’t yet, given the potential for $484 million in funds for Pennsylvania.

• Governor Shapiro’s Broken Promises (22:10–24:36)

  • Although Shapiro supported school choice while campaigning, he vetoed “Lifeline Scholarships,” betraying prior commitments under pressure from teachers’ unions.
  • “How someone governs is the test… He did not govern as he pledged” (A. Lewis, 22:54).
  • Lifeline Scholarships: Would allow students in failing schools to use ~$5,000–$6,000 of the state portion of education funds for alternative schools, but public schools would retain ~$15,000 per student.

• Union Influence and Legislative Dynamics (24:36–25:25)

  • Democratic House leadership’s ties to the teachers’ unions have obstructed meaningful reform.
  • Political control in Pennsylvania: Senate—GOP majority, House—Democrat majority by a razor-thin margin.

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4. Policy Priorities for the Commonwealth Foundation

• Foundational Pillars (27:09–27:45)

  • Four main areas:
    • Educational choice
    • Energy independence and resilience
    • Tax and spending reform
    • Public sector (and some private sector) union reform

• Legal Advocacy (27:45–27:56)

  • The Fairness Center, an allied public interest law firm, supports litigation for worker freedom and free speech.

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5. America 250—Semiquincentennial Reflections

• Civic Principles & National Opportunity (29:26–31:28)

  • America’s foundational values:
    1. Individual liberty: “Our rights come from God, not government.”
    2. Limited government: “Constitutionally limited government that protects those rights.”
    3. Law and order: “Equal justice under the law, justice being blinded.”
    4. Free market economics.
  • The 250th anniversary is a time to ask: “Are we still true to those four principles, or have we gone astray from them?” (A. Lewis, 29:43)

• Civics Education:

  • Commonwealth is part of a national coalition to improve civics education, recognizing its critical role in fostering informed and engaged citizenship for the next generation.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Stakes of Energy Policy:

  “When you don’t have power in the 21st century, lives are threatened and Pennsylvania people freeze to death.”
  — Andrew Lewis (13:10)

• On Political Integrity:

  “How someone governs is the test… you don’t know where someone stands until it’s time to vote on a bill and their name is either in green or red… That’s the ultimate test.”
  — Andrew Lewis (22:35)

• On School Choice:

  “School choice is a gateway to the American dream — it’s making sure that every kid has access to it.”
  — Andrew Lewis (07:38)

• On America’s 250th Anniversary:

  “This is an opportunity for our country to step back and say, are we still true to those four principles [liberty, limited government, law and order, free market] or have we gone astray?”
  — Andrew Lewis (29:43)

• On Union Influence:

  “Too much pressure from the teachers unions, who I call the Taliban of education. I mean, these guys are out there just absolutely fighting reforms that would actually help kids escape from failing schools.”
  — Andrew Lewis (24:23)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:46 – 07:03: Pennsylvania’s national significance and state think tanks’ impact
• 11:50 – 15:21: Energy opportunity, policy contrast with NY, and the data-center boom
• 16:03 – 17:45: Shapiro’s “lightning plan” and the energy tax battle
• 18:59 – 21:06: New federal education tax credit and state opt-in debate
• 22:10 – 24:36: Governor Shapiro’s school choice reversal and Lifeline Scholarships explained
• 27:09 – 27:56: Commonwealth’s top priorities and the Fairness Center’s legal advocacy
• 29:26 – 31:28: Reflections on America 250, civic values, and civics education

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Closing Thoughts

Andrew Lewis articulated Pennsylvania’s position as a policy laboratory and political bellwether. The episode emphasized that battles over energy, education, and the meaning of American liberty are unfolding in real time, with implications for the entire country as America approaches its 250th anniversary. The Commonwealth Foundation champions free markets, educational opportunity, and energy security—core values seen as vital for preserving the nation’s promise for another two and a half centuries.

To learn more or get involved:
Commonwealth Foundation website

Transcript

[A]

So we want to take great free market ideas that, that increases freedom and, and drives our economy, grows our economy. We want to translate that into actual policy proposals and then we want to go and get those proposals turned into law.

[B]

You forgot to mention Groundhog Day. It's one of the contributions.

[A]

I hate that guy so much. Don't drive angry. Don't drive angry. I hate punk. Satani film. He might be okay, so he's only right like 35% of the time. He predicted six more weeks of winner and he was right. This year, leftist politicians to appease their bases, will betray the majority of their, their constituents by doing this. They'll say, hey, if you're going to produce energy, you've got to use a certain amount of solar or wind or some type of unreliable source. They did this in Spain. They forced the whole country of Spain to operate as a majority on solar energy. And there was a huge blackout last year. The whole country went under. As far as energy goes, they didn't have power. When you don't have power in the 21st century, lives are threatened and Pennsylvania people freeze to death.

[B]

Well, hello ladies and hello, gentlemen, and welcome to Victor Davis Hansen in his own words, another special edition. You all know Victor is getting his toes, toe two toes back in the water. He's doing a couple of shows a week now, but he still wants to carry on with special guests. And, and our special guests are indeed special. And I have today here Andrew Lewis, who is the president of the Commonwealth foundation, one of the big state powerhouses on behalf of freedom. And let me give you, let me go through some protocols here. We're recording on the 25th of February. Okay. And this episode will be up someday the first week of March. And I think that's about. I'm going to ask you five questions. This is our third stab at this between Andrew and I. Let me tell you about Andrew again. He's the leader of one of the most important pro liberty organizations in one of our nation's most important states, policy wise and politics wise. He's a former state legislator. He's a business executive, entrepreneur. He served 10 years in the military in Iraq. You were an Iraq War veteran.

[A]

Yes, Andrew, yes, yes.

[B]

You got, you got. Are you. Did I read you have, do you have a Bronze star?

[A]

Do not have a Bronze Star, no, no, no. Army commendation medals, though.

[B]

Accommodation. Okay. You have a BA in political science from Thomas Edison State University. Masters up galore. You've been running the show at Commonwealth for about a year now. And we've Got a lot to talk about. So we'll get to some important questions, the first one being about Commonwealth when we come back from these important messages.

[A]

Since the founding of America 250 years ago, many things have changed, but some things never do. The commitment of husband and wife, the importance of passing along our values to our children. The faithfulness of God. Some wonder how we can ensure America will continue to thrive as long as we keep first things first. We've only just begun.

[B]

America the beautiful. We are back with Victor Davis Hansen in his own words, by the way, Victor is recuperating. Recovering folks. Thanks for the prayers and he's very grateful for Andrew and people like Andrew, others who have stepped in here to pinch hit for him. So thanks again for that, Andrew, and that's for me and on Victor's behalf also. So question number one. Go ahead, Andrew. I'm sorry I keep coming.

[A]

I'm so grateful to be here, Jack. And we're all thinking of Victor as he continues to recuperate. But it's a privilege to be on the show.

[B]

Yeah, well, it's. Thank you. Thank you. Question number one. Pennsylvania is often talked about purely through the lens of elections as the largest swing state in the country. But beyond politics, beyond it, what makes Pennsylvania so important to the national public policy conversation? So tell me about that. And then also, Andrew, tell us why Commonwealth matters. And it's a three part question. Why organizations like Commonwealth, Connecticut, where I am as the Yankee Institute, Goldwater Institute, Arizona, California Policy center out California, why do these institutions matter to the cause of freedom and liberty?

[A]

No great questions, Jack. So one, let's start with Pennsylvania. So Pennsylvania is so tied to the American story, if you think about it, from Philadelphia, we gave birth to the nation. The Constitutional convention was hosted here that created the greatest form of government in the history of the world. From Valley Forge, we saved the revolution. In Gettysburg, we saved the Union, we, we launched the coal industry. They gave power to the first industrial revolution. We launched the oil industry from Titusville. Few people know this, that powered the second industrial revolution. I even say Hershey has saved millions of marriages across the country. So look, Pennsylvania has been a pivotal force in the American story from day one. And we're excited now at Commonwealth foundation to be watching that. That story continues. We're now the largest and most consequential swing state with 19 electoral votes. And as goes Pennsylvania, they say, so goes the nation. And it's great to see all the, you know, the attention and just the ability to be a big participant in the national narrative. From here in the Keystone State, let's talk about the state think tanks and what they do and why the state policy network is so important. So Commonwealth foundation, we are a public policy organization. Our goal and our mission is to transform free market ideas into public policy. So we want to take great free market ideas that that increases freedom and drives our economy and grows our economy. We want to translate that into actual policy proposals and then we want to go and get those proposals turned into law. So in our history, we've been around since 1987, the year I was born, and I will tell you, Jack, we have helped stop 11 tax hikes, 33 plus billion dollars in extra government spending that it has been held back. We have been able to create over 100,000 scholarships for kids to help them escape failing schools. Over 500 million in scholar, in tax, in refundable tax credit scholarship dollars. So they're not refundable, but tax credit scholarship dollars. It's been incredible to see the work of Commonwealth foundation long before I got here. And now to be a steward of this organization as the CEO has been on the job about 18 months now. I'm excited to carry that torch forward.

[B]

You know, I've written this is not a question, but. Well, two things. One, you forgot to mention Groundhog Day. It's one of the contributions.

[A]

I hate that guy so much. I hate punk Satani Phil because he predicted so he's only right like 35% of the time. He predicted six more weeks of winner and he was right this year.

[B]

He was right this year. Yeah, I know. I just got shovel. Finished shoveling 18 inches. You, when you were in the legislature. Legislature, you were one of the leaders in the education reform, school choice movement.

[A]

Yes, absolutely. So it was a privilege of. I had an unconventional educational journey. I'm a huge fan of school choice. I think it's. School choice is a gateway to the American dream. It's making sure that every kid has access to it. So, yep, I, in my first term, I sponsored bills. I was a pro school choice. In my second term, I actually called the speaker's office. I said, look, I will trade my seat on the judiciary Committee if you'll give me education because I want to be on the education committee. I introduced the biggest universal school choice bill that had ever been introduced to date. Rallied about 50 co sponsors and actually advanced the ball forward here in Pennsylvania. Was privileged to be part of that effort with a ton of other great legislators. But yeah, it was a big focus of mine. In my second term, we're going to

[B]

talk a little more about school choice and education reform later. I have to pay our bills here. I do it happily, very happily. So, folks, if you've studied enough history, you just heard a bunch of history here from Andrew, you start to see a pattern. Nations don't lose their way overnight. They drift through debt and division until one day you realize the foundations you thought were permanent were never permanent at all. Today, America is spending at levels once reserved for wartime. We've normalized deficits that would have stunned earlier generations. And policymakers now debate whether the only path forward is more intervention, more printing, more distortion. But here's the historical truth. Every society that pushed its currency beyond discipline eventually paid a price. The wise never waited for collapse. They prepared for correction. And that's why so many thoughtful Americans, especially those nearing retirement or in retirement, are reallocating part of their wealth into something that has outlasted every paper experiment in human history. And I'm talking about physical gold, not as speculation but as insulation. Our reputation matters here at Victor Davis Hanson in his own words. Which is why we're partnering with Allegiance Gold, a company distinguished by integrity, reliability and an A rating with a Better Business Bureau. And for years, they've guided Americans through transparent education and longstanding relationships built on trust. And right now, they're extending a special liberty offer for our listeners to help you get started with real gold, whether your funds are in a retirement account or in the bank or maybe even in your mattress. So if you believe as I do, as we do, that the best time to reinforce your position is before, before the storm becomes obvious. Call 8447-909191-84479-09191 or visit protectwithviktor.com that's 844790, 9191. I'm going to do my Allegiance Goal dance now. 844-790-9191 or visit protectwithvictor.com History rewards those who take the long view. And we thank the good people from Allegiance Goal for sponsoring Victor Davis Hansen in his own words. Andrew, you mentioned Titusville, Pennsylvania. Even I knew 1859 I was one of those nerds who read encyclopedias. Yeah.

[A]

Good man.

[B]

So, yeah, Pennsylvania was a, was a leader in energy, but then everyone thought of it as steel, Right? But then fractural drilling, I don't like to call it fracking. I have a feeling I'm going to have to. That came about and Pennsylvania became one of the nation's and in fact, one of the World's leading energy producers. I have a couple of questions here. How has that changed Pennsylvania from the state it was, say, 25 years ago? How has that energy revolution changed the state? And what opportunities does an energy revolution present for the livelihood of, of your fellow citizens? And I asked this for, I think an important reason, because there are states that could have energy revolutions also just across the border from you in New York, that Marcellus Shale that sits under you, sits under there. But they don't take advantage of it for ideological reasons. And I have a feeling there's quite a discrepancy in the kinds of lives people live on either side of the border. So tell us about the energy revolution.

[A]

Love it. So first I'll start with the opportunity. Then we'll go into kind of how it's changed the state. So just for your viewers here, Pennsylvania sits atop Marcellus and Utica shale. Under our feet. There is enough shale and energy production potential just from that to power the entire nation's electric grid, not just for decades, but arguably for an entire century. So we have massive, massive opportunity here in Pennsylvania. We are now the nation's number one exporter of electricity and Pennsylvania energy producer in the country. We actually have the number one energy producing county in the state of Pennsylvania, beating Texas in that county. So all that to say Pennsylvania's got massive energy opportunity here. And the good news with us is geographically, we are right at the center of the East Coast. So geographically, we're in a perfect location to be able to export that energy and get that energy out to help benefit our neighboring states. Now, New York, which you alluded to, to our north, and they are draconian. They have banned the fractional drilling that you've referred to. They banned this. As a result, their Electricity costs are 56% higher than the average across the country. 56% higher because of their draconian green New Deal policies. Now here's the problem is leftist politicians, to appease their bases, will betray the majority of their constituents by doing this. They'll say, hey, if you're going to produce energy, you've got to use a certain amount of solar or wind or some type of unreliable source. They did this in Spain. They forced the whole country of Spain to operate as a majority on solar energy. And there was a huge blackout last year. The whole country went under. As far as energy goes, they didn't have power. When you don't have power in the 21st century, lives are threatened. And Pennsylvania people freeze to death. I mean, this is not good. And so we need to fight that and say look, we need reliable energy. We need, look, if you're going to have a portfolio, mixes got to be reliable. You have to have natural gas, coal, nuclear and these other parts of the mix that make it reliable and resilient. In Pennsylvania, that's the opportunity is we can shape national debate around energy and make sure that we fight for a free energy market and a reliable grid. Because that's a national security issue as well. Jack, you alluded to military service. I'm still a civil affairs officer with the Army Reserve and I'll tell you it's a national security issue. You've got to have reliable energy. We with the grid now in terms of how it's changed Pennsylvania, we're like the kind of the epicenter of this data boom with data centers that are going in with kind of being at the forefront of this AI revolution now. And last year was Dave McCormick was here with the President. They announced a massive 90 I think it was a 90 billion plus investment in the state of Pennsylvania with data and technology. But if you look at us geographically, it makes sense. We're right at the center of the east coast. We've got Marcellus shale, we've got Utica shale, a lot of pipeline potential. And I was able to when I was in the state House, I was on the policy committee and I was able to tour some of these areas where we have the cracker plant project. We have these different energy adjacent projects and it's amazing to see what is how it's transformed communities. It's almost like if you watch the movies where there was like an oil boom or a western expansion in the frontier where like there's new construction happening and people able to upgrade their trucks and go out there and build the facilities that are needed to make these things happen. It's amazing. See, it is very cool.

[B]

Saloons and bar fights too. I hope these things happen. It's anecdotal. I'm just curious before we take a little break here and we're going to talk a little more about your Governor Shapiro.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

But has he done, has he tried to promote any policies the moderate and we're going to talk about his moderation also has he tried to do anything that is restrictive of on. On the energy front or has any have as anyone in the bureaucracy there now controlled by the Democrat party and no, you're not a partisan organization. But has there been any, any hamstringing in recent years?

[A]

Yeah, unfortunately the governor does have what he calls the lightning plan. And in that plan there is a proposal to force 50% of our portfolio in Pennsylvania to be these renewable sources and, and a lot of them being unreliable sources. So currently the requirement is 18% of that mix has to be from renewables. He now wants that to be 50%. So it's unacceptable then. Now that plan includes nuclear. So you could say, well, nuclear is reliable, we know that. But it also takes forever to get it off the ground power. Nuclear plants are, it's a massive investment. So it's kind of unrealistic. So he's basically saying now 50% is going to be what I would believe to be unreliable sources. It would handicap the industry here. So, yeah, he's pushing for that. And naturally we want to preserve the free energy market here in Pennsylvania. So we're pushing back.

[B]

Yeah. One last related energy question. Has there been any expansion as an exporter to Europe of natural gas? Has that done anything with say, shipping out of Philadelphia area? Has there been any kind of international trade boom related to.

[A]

That's a great question. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I know that on day one of the Trump administration when he reversed that LNG export pause, so Biden had bas basically said, hey, we're not going to let you export liquefied natural gas if it's not to a green New Deal energy country. Trump reversed that on day one. I know that's been highly impactful. I don't have the numbers right in front of me. But the last thing I just really quick, I know we're going to break but want to say on Governor Shapiro is he tried to get us into the biggest energy tax we ever would have faced here in Pennsylvania. Commonwealth foundation successfully helped to fight that back last year and he thankfully we pulled out of it. So that's huge for Pennsylvania.

[B]

Terrific. Well, we're going to talk about school choice and the governor and we'll do that when we come back from these important messages. We are back with Victor Davis Hanson in his own words, talking on February 25th. And Andrew Lewis, president of the Commonwealth foundation, is here with us talking about one of the most important states. For every reason, political and policy wise, it is an incubator of great ideas, not only just ideas, but implementation of ideas. Let's talk about what we've already begun about school choice. School choice reforms have swept across states over the past decade and Pennsylvania played an early role in shaping scholarship and tax credit models. Can you tell us about the new federal education tax credit program? Don't get Bored by this, folks. It is important. It sounds like a mouthful of, of whatever, but the new federal education tax credit program and how it's rooted in Pennsylvania's experience and what is the current state of school choice in the commonwealth and what are the education reform legislation, legislative policy priorities for the Commonwealth Foundation?

[A]

Huge. Huge. So number one, the federal tax Credit scholarship program just for the listeners. Let me, let me break this down very, very clearly. So last year, as part of this one big beautiful bill omnibus that was passed by Republicans in the House and Senate, signed by President Trump, what happened was that in this bill, it included at the time called the Educational Choice for Children act, now called the Educational Freedom Tax Credit, soon to be called something else. But the point is it's a national plan that allows every citizen to contribute up to $1700 to attach a scholarship organization and they will get that money back. So it's a tax credit program federally. So get that money back up to 1700. That money will go to free children who are trapped in failing schools. They're going to be able to get out and go to a school of their choice with those funds that will be distributed by the scholarship organizations. Now, every governor has to opt in. So the program's in place. So you can give to it starting in 2027, regardless of whether your governor opts in or not. But if he or she doesn't opt in, it won't go to your state. That money won't go to scholarship organizations in your state. So we are wondering why Governor Shapiro has not yet opted into this plan. Because it's a no brainer. This is $484 million just coming into Pennsylvania almost, pretty quickly, almost right away. It's going to be coming in, it'll grow from there. But why would the governor not have opted us in yet? We're wondering, we're asking and we're going to hold his feet to the fire until he opts us in. Because this is so important not just for Pennsylvania, but for the entire country. This affects the states of all of you. This is basically, this is allowing kids who can't afford to get into these other schools to get into a school of their choice. That affects a lot of the families of our listeners here as well.

[B]

Yeah, it's crazy that less than half the states have opted in. But people like me in Connecticut, who I'm pretty confident will not opt in, still have the option in 2027 to give a tax credit to another state. You know, so if Connecticut doesn't have it and you have it? I'm going to send mine to.

[A]

All right. I love it. Thank you.

[B]

There you go. Well, let's talk a little more about the governor. We see a pattern where governors campaign as moderates. Then they govern very differently once in office. So most recently, Virginia and New Jersey emerged as cautionary tales. But before that, Josh Shapiro, your governor, cast himself in that moderate mold. How does that image compare with the actual policy record in Pennsylvania? And for the record, I've written several times for National Review about Governor Shapiro's I call it, this is me speaking, not you profile in cowardice and wonder where this man who as a candidate, he portrayed himself as an advocate of choice. And I think that's maybe a good reason why he was elected in his first term, why he's failed to keep his very public promise. I know why he was confronted by big labor. But tell us about this moderate governor you have.

[A]

Great question. You know, what amazes me is how the vast majority of Americans are common sense folks. They love the American story, they love American freedom. They want to provide for their families. They want to live in peace and security and liberty. And frankly, they want law and order and they want a good economy, they want a good job and they want affordable electric bills and they want educational options for their kids. These are all common sense things that I would say 75% plus of the country are for. So you have these leftist politicians who will go out there and try to appeal to that vast majority by kind of acting like they also agree with these things. But you have to be very careful and you have to look at how they actually govern. Because how one thing I learned in the legislature is you don't know where someone stands until it's time to vote on a bill and their name is either in green or red when you look at the wall. And if they're voting no, you know where they're at. If they're voting yes, you know where they're at. That's the ultimate test. So how someone governs is the test. When Governor Shapiro was attorney General Shapiro campaigning for the job of governor in Pennsylvania, he voiced support for school choice because look, Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support school choice as a general citizenry. He voiced support for it and he even said, I will support Lifeline Scholarships. The legislature then turned around and passed Lifeline Scholarships and sent the bill to his desk as part of the budget. He line item vetoed Lifeline Scholarships out of that budget, signed the rest of the budget in. In other words, he did not govern as he pledged could you tell us.

[B]

Tell us what a Lifeline Scholarship is.

[A]

Yeah. A Lifeline scholarship would have taken the state portion of education funding and allowed kids in failing schools only. So failing schools to be able to escape from those schools and just take the state portion. So the average amount of education spending per kid in Pennsylvania, it averages out to a little over $20,000. This would have been about five or six thousand dollars that would have gone to the. To the school of their choice with this kid, these students. The rest of the money would have stayed with the school. So this public school would have kept $15,000. Roughly 5,000 goes with that kid to the school of their choice. Everybody wins. Governor Shapiro wouldn't do it. He wouldn't let these kids have a lifeline and get rescued from these failing schools because of too much pressure from the teachers unions, who I call the Taliban of education. I mean, these guys are out there just absolutely fighting reforms that would actually help kids escape from failing schools.

[B]

Was not the speaker of the House or the House majority leader. So maybe we should talk about the partisan breakup. The. The. The Republicans are in control of the state Senate.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

Democrats are control of the state House. It's very narrow margin.

[A]

They're very narrow. So it's one or two. It's like one vote in the state House, and then you have three votes in the Senate. Very, very airtight. Democrats control the House and the governor's office. Republicans control the Senate. It's very tight.

[B]

And the leader in the House was the head of a teachers union. Correct.

[A]

Say that again, Jack.

[B]

Was. Was the leader of the Democrat majority leader in the House. Was he not a. A, A teachers union leader?

[A]

Absolutely. And very beholden to the teachers unions and the majority leader in the House, who's unfortunately, for whatever reason, chose to stifle this, to not let it advance and fought it back. So it's very unfortunate. And we've advanced the ball. We've been working to find other ways to free these kids who are trapped in failing schools. But this was a big win that they could have had. That was passed by the House and the Senate, and Governor Shapiro vetoed. Jack, I want to go back, if I have a minute, to what you talked about earlier. I was taught. I was watching the Governor Spamberger's rebuttal to the State of the Union last night. I won't get into the partisan stuff, but I will say I couldn't tell if it was an SNL skit or what it was because it just. It was. It wasn't impressive. But What I'll say is she was another governor who campaigned as a moderate. My governor endorsed her. And then one of the first things she does is pull them into this regional greenhouse gas initiative which results in an energy tax. There's talk now of tax hikes in Virginia. I mean, this is what unfortunately too many on the left will do is try to be normal, try to pretend they're normal for a couple months during campaign season. As soon as they're in office, the mask comes off and they're enacting oppressive policies that hurt their constituents.

[B]

Can you tell us before we take a break and then we're going to get one final question which is about America will be about America 250. Outside of energy, outside of school choice, is there what, what issue what is Commonwealth most? Taxes. Well, you said you've defeated a number of, of attempts at tax increases. Is, are those the main priorities for Commonwealth or are there anything else in that top list?

[A]

Absolutely. So our top four so we have educational freedom, educational choice. We have energy independence, energy resilience. We have taxes and spending to reform taxes spe along with that, you have regulatory and government reform. And finally we have public sector union reform and there's some private sector union policies as well. But so you have union labor union reform. So those are our big four buckets.

[B]

Yeah. What's the name of the Geez. I've written about them in National Review. The, the, let's say pro liberty, pro free speech, I should put it legal arm that has fought some of these cases.

[A]

The Fairness center is an allied organization, a public interest law firm that has gone out and fought some of these fights and has sued the unions who have disenfranchised their membership.

[B]

Yeah, they're great. They're great people. I've, my memory is terrible. I've written, I've written a few pieces at National Review about some of the stuff they've done over the years. Well, we're going to take final break and then we'll come back. We're going to talk about America 250 and we'll do that right after these important messages. And we are back with Victor Davis Hansen in his own words. Andrew Lewis, president of the Commonwealth foundation, here with us. Thank you so much for being here. So we're talking on the day after the the president's State of the Union. And I did, you know, catch the end. I caught bits and pieces of, of it and but the end of of America Pride was pretty, pretty powerful. So but I want to let me, let me Give the spiel. I wrote it. I wrote this question, so I'm going to read it. Pennsylvania is often called the birthplace of America. It's where a Continental Congress rendered our Declaration of Independence. As we celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary, how do today's policy debates in Pennsylvania reflect the broader struggle over America's future? And what is the Commonwealth foundation doing to make note of. To celebrate of. To the opportunity of the semi quincentennial, which deserves, of course, a great celebration. But do you see it as a special opportunity to rekindle knowledge and love of the declarations avowal of unalienable rights?

[A]

Oh, man. So well said, Jack. That was so well said. You got semi quincentennial. Correct. So if you look at the foundations of the United States of America as a country and the four things that we stood for from the very beginning that have kind of run through the veins of us as a country, there's four principles. Individual liberty, right. Our rights come from God, not government. Constitutionally limited government that protects those rights. Law and order, Equal justice under the law, justice being blinded. Finally, free market economics. You have those four things, and that was kind of. Those are the foundational pillars of the American society that came to be that we now get to live in, and we're privileged to be here 250 years later. So I think this is an opportunity for our country to step back and say, hey, are we still true to those four principles, or have we gone astray from them? Is government still limited in scope to where it exists to protect inalienable rights? Or has government started to really become more of an oppressive bureaucracy that. That actually constricts those rights? We really need to ask those questions, and this is an opportunity to do it. A couple of things that come. One, we're definitely taking advantage of the fact that our country is at this. This. We have events, you know, we're planning out, and we've got a special event we're planning in the summer and things like that. But we're also part of a coalition that Secretary McMahon at the US Department of Education put together, which is advocating civics education. Jack, you touched on this, the importance of civics education. We need our students across the country to understand where we come from as a country, to understand the heritage of our. Of our great country, and to understand the civic arena and how to engage in the obligation of citizens to engage. So while our primary fight in the educational space is on educational choice, we also want to talk about what is being taught in the educational landscape and civics is so important. And so Megan Martin, my COO and general counsel, was part of that coalition on behalf of Commonwealth foundation. And we're excited about it as this, a 250 year unfolds to be really focusing on civics education.

[B]

You know, people watch this show, listen to this show all over the world, Norway, Australia, Sheboygan and but I, I, I, I would like to encourage our American listeners who may be in states where they're a little more oppressed than others to go to your commonwealthfoundation.org, go to the website and try get inspired about what private citizens who believe in federalism, who love liberty, what they can do and can accomplish. And Commonwealth is a real powerhouse in this of all these state organizations and they are in every state and some are better than others. But at the top of the list is Commonwealth. So you should check it out, especially if you live in Pennsylvania, you get to know it. If you don't know it yet, all right, now you do. But try to get inspired by the real mission and the flourishing that can happen under great leadership. And Commonwealth does indeed have great leadership with Andrew Lewis. Andrew, I am so appreciative that you came on today, talk about these important matters and pinch hitting. Great to pinch it for Victor, who that's quite an honor. So thanks for that. You're terrific. Again, the web address is commonwealthfoundation.org that's

[A]

right, commonwealthfoundation.org Send us a note if you have any questions. Send us a note. I'll send you an email back. And I'm excited about what we're doing and we invite folks especially here in Pennsylvania to partner, but especially even across the country as we are the most consequential swing state. Jack, it's been a privilege, sir. I love reading your writings and Victor is amazing and you're a great pinch hitter. Report.

[B]

Grazie. Grazie. Andrew Lewis, thank you so much. Thanks to our good friends at the Daily Signal. They're only friends, they own this podcast. So thank you Tim Kennedy who helped make this happen via Zoom. And we will be back with another episode of Victor Davis Hansen in his own words. God bless and bye bye. Thank you for tuning in to the Daily Signal. Please like share and subscribe to be notified for more content like this. You can also check out my own [e-mail] and subscribe for exclusive features. In addition.