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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Frank Dermody |
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Dermody praises bill that increases property tax relief,
slams Republican deception
HARRISBURG, Dec. 7 – House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody lauded a bill passed by the House this week to augment the continuing property tax relief generated by gaming in Pennsylvania, but he objected to a deceptive Republican effort to claim authorship of the idea.
“House Bill 2009 was amended by the House to redirect the tax revenue from table gaming that is now going to the state’s General Fund and steer it to the Property Tax Relief Fund. Representative Frank Burns sponsored the amendment in October that got this done,” Dermody said.
“I was chagrined today to read a news release from Representative John Lawrence claiming credit for the plan. While Mr. Lawrence did sponsor the original bill, he had nothing to do with the property tax relief amendment other than voting for it,” said Dermody.
In a news release sent today, Lawrence repeatedly touts the property tax measure as “my legislation” and refers to school property taxes being the most common concern at meetings held in his district.
The legislation that Rep. Lawrence proposed had just one purpose. It would require the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to list on its website a description of all Right-to-Know requests it receives. The current board already does that voluntarily, but the bill would ensure that the practice continues.
“House Democrats supported the website idea when John Lawrence introduced it in October,” Dermody said. “However, Representative Frank Burns had an even better idea and he proposed the amendment to increase property tax relief. The House agreed and adopted it unanimously.”
Although the Burns amendment for property tax relief was adopted on Oct. 26, the amended bill did not receive a final House vote until this week. It passed and is now awaiting Senate consideration.
“Representative Frank Burns of Cambria County is responsible for the millions of dollars of property tax relief that this bill would generate,” Dermody said. “For anybody to try to rewrite history and muddy the legislative record is not right.”
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