CHAMBERSBURG PUBLIC OPINION: According to the Pa. Budget and Policy Center, the effective tax rate of 7.3 percent proposed by the House, after factoring in tax breaks and local property taxes assessed in other states, is lower than Montana (7.9 percent), New Mexico (9.4 percent) and Wyoming (10.2 percent).
House Democrats project their 7.3 percent rate would bring in about $120 million during the last six months of this fiscal year. The Senate rate of 1.5 percent would raise about $18.5 million in revenue during the same time frame.
And there you have it — the Senate is apparently more interested in saving the gas industry $100 million than making sure our forests survive the state’s natural gas rush… (more)
