PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: House Republicans held a Finance Committee hearing last week on one of the session’s marquee bills that would levy an impact fee on Marcellus shale drilling. It was held in a tiny room on the second floor of the Capitol. An overflow crowd stood in the hallway outside the hearing.
Why would they try to hide it? A shale fee or tax is popular with voters and many Republicans, particularly those from the southeastern part of the state. The hearing on the bill by Rep. Brian Ellis, R-Butler County, should have been advertised with bright lights. It should have been on PCN TV, commercial TV and on Internet web feeds.
But no, the House members were crammed together in a sardine can and people could not get in… (more)
