Feb. 07, 2017
HARRISBURG – After a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly during which the governor outlined his 2017-18 state budget proposal, Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) said today she is cautiously optimistic about the governor’s plans for the next year.
Gov. Tom Wolf spoke broadly about his goals for the upcoming 2017-18 fiscal year and highlighted a major consolidation of state services, along with billions in potential cost savings.
“After two years, the governor is finally listening to the people of Pennsylvania, and has learned that people cannot afford higher taxes,” Pickett said. “Today he put forth a proposal that does not rely on income and sales tax increases. While I am pleased to see a concerted effort toward streamlining services and reducing unnecessary expenses, I want to make sure we see every detail, so that we can be sure it can produce tangible savings and mitigate any possible unintended consequences.”
The governor also called for a severance tax on natural gas, an issue with a potential impact on the Northern Tier. Pickett expressed her concern that any severance tax not impact current lease holders who already are seeing their royalty checks hit hard by post-production costs.
“Pennsylvania must hit the restart button in terms of developing its annual budget, so that our government can be truly responsive to the people we serve,” Pickett said. “This is a good first step in making that a reality.”
Representative Tina Pickett
110th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
(717) 705-2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
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