Oct. 08, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland/Somerset) today issued the following statement after legislation containing tax increases totaling $3.8 billion over two years was soundly defeated on the House floor with a bipartisan, 73 to 127 vote.
“The residents of the 59th Legislative District cannot afford to send more of their hard earned dollars to Harrisburg. While the governor campaigned on establishing a natural gas severance tax for his increased spending, the reality was that 90 percent of his $3.8 billion dollars in new taxes over two years was on the backs of the hardworking families throughout the Commonwealth.
“Now, the message to Gov. Tom Wolf should be clear; pushing for higher taxes is not supported by the Commonwealth’s residents. And to this point, his insistence otherwise has accomplished nothing but to hold the school districts and human services organizations that rely on state funding as hostages.
“The tax increases that were wisely defeated today would have cost the average Pennsylvania taxpayer an additional $263 via the Personal Income Tax (PIT). In addition, there would have been a negative impact on small businesses that also pay the PIT through the individual tax code. This describes nearly 80 percent of the Commonwealth’s small businesses, who provide the vast majority of our family sustaining jobs. The governor’s proposal, had it not been defeated, would have slowed growth in this important part of our economy and would have placed these jobs at risk. Placing this tax burden on our job creators is unacceptable.
“We have put forward solid ideas on revenue creation through the privatization of liquor sales and establishing proper cost controls in order to contain the unfunded liability of the state’s pension program, both of which the governor vetoed. These reforms would improve Pennsylvania’s economic climate instead of passing the burden on to overtaxed residents.
“Tomorrow marks the one-hundredth day of the budget impasse. It’s long past time to engage in meaningful discussion and finalize a budget that works for the residents of this Commonwealth.”
Representative Mike Reese
59th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Raymond Smith
717.705.1834
rsmith@pahousegop.com
RepReese.com