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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Lawrence Curry |
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Curry votes to protect the arts, state forests
HARRISBURG, Oct. 2 –The House of Representatives today voted to change the tentative state budget agreement negotiated by leaders from both parties.
The amended Tax Code bill (H.B. 1531) that state Rep. Lawrence Curry voted for and the House approved would eliminate a small games of chance and the arts tax included in the agreement, and replace them with a tax on smokeless tobacco and cigars and a 25-cent increase in the cigarette tax, as well as a severance tax on natural gas drilling.
"We are facing a $3.2 billion deficit. Why would we ask our veterans' organizations, volunteer fire departments, arts organizations and families to pay more while giving big oil and gas corporations and Big Tobacco a free ride?" asked Curry, D-Montgomery/Phila.
Curry said not only is a severance tax on natural gas drilling fair, but it could eliminate the need to open more state forest land to natural gas drilling.
"Natural gas drilling will cause pollution that would contaminate drinking water, destroy natural habitats and threaten the forest ecosystem," Curry said. "A severance tax would ensure Pennsylvania has the financial resources to fix the problems drilling will cause, and the additional revenue from the tax could eliminate the need to open more state forest land to natural gas drilling."
Curry noted that Pennsylvania is the only state that does not tax smokeless tobacco and cigars, and said that loophole should be closed before volunteer fire departments, VFWs and museums are forced to pay taxes.
"It's a choice between taxing tobacco – an industry that poses significant health problems for our citizens – and taxing the arts – institutions that enrich the lives of our citizens," Curry said.
The bill now returns to the Senate for concurrence.
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