Apr. 21, 2026
By Rep. Marla Brown
9th District
Today is Earth Day, but for many Pennsylvania families, the biggest concern is not lofty rhetoric about the planet. It is whether they can afford the basics. When every trip to the store costs more, every utility bill stings, and every household purchase has to be weighed carefully, even a small break can make a real difference. That is why my Republican colleagues and I are working on a package of bills which cut sales taxes for families in areas which would collectively save the ordinary, everyday family $1,100 this year. We are talking about cutting taxes on gas, electricity, cell phone bills, personal income tax, and certain items subject to sales tax.
A small part of that plan includes legislation I am sponsoring to create a one-time, six-month sales tax holiday on home gardening and lawn supplies, including seeds, bulbs, lawnmowers, weed trimmers and gardening tools. This is a simple idea rooted in common sense. If we want to encourage people to improve their properties, grow their own food, beautify their neighborhoods, and invest in their communities, the least government can do is stop taxing those efforts for a limited period of time.
Some people hear the phrase “sales tax holiday” and assume it is too small to make a difference. I disagree. When times are tight, small savings are not meaningless. They are helpful. They are noticed. And when those savings come on items that help families maintain their homes; improve their yards; or grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, the value goes even further.
For some Pennsylvanians, gardening is a hobby. For many others, it is something much more practical. It is a way to stretch the family budget. It is a way to teach children responsibility and patience. It is a way to produce fresh food right at home. It is a way to take pride in where you live. It is a way to make a neighborhood feel cared for and welcoming. It is a way to invest in your property without asking government for anything more than a little breathing room.
That is exactly the kind of behavior public policy should encourage.
Earth Day should not just be about slogans or symbolic gestures. It should be about practical stewardship. It should be about the small, everyday actions people take to make their homes and communities cleaner, greener and more livable. A homeowner planting a garden, replacing worn-out tools, trimming back overgrowth, or maintaining a yard is doing something positive, not just for their own property, but for the look and feel of an entire neighborhood.
Too often, environmental conversations in government are framed in ways that feel distant from the lives of ordinary people. The discussion turns into mandates, bureaucracy and expensive policy packages that seem designed more for headlines than for households. But most Pennsylvanians experience environmental stewardship much closer to home. It is in their backyard. It is in their flower beds. It is in their vegetable gardens. It is in the simple act of caring for the place where they live.
This proposal respects that reality.
It also recognizes that the people of Pennsylvania do not need government to micromanage every choice they make. They need government to understand the pressure they are under and, where possible, get out of the way. A temporary tax holiday on gardening and lawn supplies will not solve every economic challenge facing our Commonwealth. I do not pretend otherwise. But it will provide real relief at the right time of year, on the kinds of products many families are already planning to buy.
And timing matters. Spring is when Pennsylvanians get outside again. It is when they clean up after winter, plant for the season ahead, and make improvements they may have postponed. If we can make those efforts a little more affordable, we should.
This is not a flashy proposal. It is not complicated. It is not ideological. It is practical, limited and targeted to something families actually need. In my view, those are the kinds of ideas Harrisburg should embrace more often.
On Earth Day, we should remember that good stewardship does not always come from the top down. Sometimes it comes from a parent planting tomatoes with a child in the backyard.
Sometimes it comes from a retired couple keeping up the lawn and flower beds they have cared for for years. Sometimes it comes from a homeowner trying to make their property a little nicer, a little cleaner and a little more productive.
Those efforts deserve encouragement, not more taxation.
Earth Day should not just be about big promises made in government buildings. It should also be about the people who roll up their sleeves, plant the garden, mow the lawn, care for their property and take pride in their community. If we can make that a little easier and a little more affordable, we should. In a time when families are counting every dollar, this is the kind of practical relief that matters. Because this Earth Day, and every day, every bit counts.
Representative Marla Brown
9th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rick Leiner
717.260.6437 (office), 717.497.8478 (cell)
Rleiner@pahousegop.com
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