Causer Says It’s Time to Leave Tax Hikes Behind, Negotiate Responsible Budget
HARRISBURG – The state House today resoundingly rejected Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest proposal to increase the state income tax on hard-working Pennsylvanians and their families, said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint).
“The people I represent can’t afford to pay any more in taxes, nor do they want to see us continue to grow the government,” Causer said. “We’ve told the governor there is not enough support to pass a broad-based tax increase, and today we showed him by putting up a vote on his latest plan.
“With this vote behind us, I am hopeful that we can finally sit down and have meaningful negotiations on a plan that funds the core functions of government without increasing the burden on taxpayers,” he added.
The proposal voted upon in the House on Wednesday sought a 16 percent increase in the state income tax, from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent. It also included a severance tax on natural gas at an effective rate of more than 14 percent, making it the highest in the nation.
“Higher taxes and more government spending are not the right answers for Pennsylvania and its future,” Causer said. “Instead of asking for more money, we need to address what is driving our costs, like our pension systems, and get our spending under control.”
Pennsylvania has gone nearly 100 days without an enacted state budget. In late June, the General Assembly adopted a balanced, no-tax-hike plan that was vetoed by the governor. Efforts to override the governor’s veto of some of the line items, primarily those in which the Legislature’s budget either met or exceeded what the governor had proposed, failed along party line votes. Last month, lawmakers adopted a plan to provide emergency funding to schools, human service agencies, college grant programs and more, but that legislation was also vetoed by the governor.
“It’s long past time to get a budget done,” Causer said. “It’s time for the governor to leave his tax hikes behind and work with the General Assembly to adopt a spending plan that respects the people who pay the bills.”
Representative Martin T. Causer
67th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia A. Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
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