Want to eliminate school property taxes on primary homes and farms?
Urge your senator to pass the necessary constitutional amendment

Currently, Pennsylvania's constitution includes a "homestead exemption," approved by voters in 1997, which essentially limits school property tax relief to 50 percent of the median assessment in a school district. A proposed constitutional amendment (H.B. 1947) would allow the General Assembly to create a full-value exemption from property taxes for residential and farm properties.

To be included in the state constitution, an amendment must pass the legislature in two consecutive sessions and be approved by voters. That means it could go before voters as soon as next year - but only if the Senate acts before the summer recess. Otherwise, the amendment could not go before voters until 2011.

The House of Representatives passed the amendment unanimously on Jan. 17, 2008, but it remains in the Senate Finance Committee. Tell Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Patrick Browne to move the amendment out of the Senate Finance Committee and to vote on it before the summer recess. The overburdened homeowners of Pennsylvania deserve an up or down vote on this important legislation.