Oct. 07, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Paul Schemel (R-Franklin) today joined a majority of his colleagues in the House of Representatives in rejecting Gov. Tom Wolf’s revenue proposal for the 2015-16 state budget, which included an income tax hike and a severance tax on Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry. The House vote was to 73 to 127.
Schemel issued the following statement in regard to the defeat of the Wolf tax package:
“Last fall, Pennsylvanians elected a governor who promised to spend more on education and a Legislature which promised to keep taxes under control. I do not believe that these are contradictory objectives.
“Pennsylvania currently ranks sixth in the nation in total education spending. However, many school districts, including some in Franklin County, correctly argue that they do not receive adequate funding from the state. Pennsylvania’s problem with education funding is not that we do not raise enough, it is that we do not properly allocate the funds we already collect. If our Commonwealth fixes its allocation problems, our school funding woes will be over. We need only have the fortitude to do what is right.
“Unfortunately, Gov. Wolf’s solution is to raise taxes, 94 percent of which will come from working Pennsylvanians in the form of increased income taxes. This “solution” defies a basic principle of economics which dictates that government cannot grow faster than incomes.
“I detest the wastefulness of the current budget impasse and I am hopeful that a responsible resolution will be reached soon. Until that time, I will continue to oppose poorly conceived tax increases which only paper-over our systemic spending problems.”
The governor’s plan called for a 16 percent increase in the Personal Income Tax, from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent.
Wolf’s severance tax proposal would have been in addition to the impact fee already paid by drilling companies. Combined, the two levies would have resulted in a 14.7 percent tax rate, the highest in the nation.
Additionally, the governor wanted to expand the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, providing rebates of up to $2,000 annually to eligible senior citizens and persons with disabilities. However, a majority of the Commonwealth’s property owners would have seen no tax relief under the Wolf proposal.
For more information on Schemel and his legislative priorities, visit
RepSchemel.com or
Facebook.com/RepSchemel.
Representative Paul Schemel
90th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andy Briggs
717.260.6474
abriggs@pahousegop.com
RepSchemel.com /
Facebook.com/RepSchemel