Jun. 02, 2015
HARRISBURG – The governor in March proposed a variety of new taxes to pay for billions of dollars in new spending in his first state budget plan. State Rep. Lee James (R-Venango/Butler) and his colleagues in the state House on Monday voted unanimously to reject those tax increases.
“Every member of the state House – Republican and Democrat – voted against the tax increases proposed by the governor,” James said. “Without those tax increases, the money simply doesn’t exist to pay for all of the new spending the governor proposed in March.”
Gov. Tom Wolf in March proposed increasing the state Personal Income Tax, increasing the state sales tax rate and applying the state sales tax to products and services that are currently exempt. He also proposed enacting a tax specifically on natural gas harvested in Pennsylvania.
The governor’s proposal would have increased state spending by nearly $5 billion, which would have represented a 16 percent increase compared to the current state budget.
“Unlike the federal government in Washington, D.C., our state government in Pennsylvania cannot spend money it does not have,” said James. “We have to adopt a balanced budget each year. Paying for all of the governor’s new spending plans would have required significant tax increases that many Pennsylvanians simply cannot afford.”
With the governor’s spending proposal off the table, the House and Senate now must work together to pass a balanced budget and send it to the governor to be signed into law.
“My goal is to work with my colleagues to enact a responsible state spending plan that protects taxpayers while funding the key functions of government,” said James.
Residents can learn more about James by visiting his website at
www.RepJames.com and following him on Facebook at
www.Facebook.com/RepJames .
Representative Lee James
64th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Dan Massing
717.772.9845
dmassing@pahousegop.com
RepJames.com /
Facebook.com/RepLeeJames