Feb. 09, 2016
HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf plans to pursue an expanded sales tax and increased Personal Income Tax as part of his budget proposal for the 2016-17 fiscal year. During today’s budget address, the governor expressed a desire to raise the Personal Income Tax from 3.07 percent to 3.4 percent for 2016-17, and make it retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. He also wants to add sales tax to basic cable television bills and movie theater ticket purchases, as well as increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack.
State Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Harborcreek) issued the following statement in response to the governor’s proposal:
“My first reaction to the budget address was surprise. While the governor delivered a great campaign speech, he failed to give anyone watching on television or online details about the budget he’s proposing. He seemed to want to talk more about the current budget which he signed and then elected to line-item veto. He mentioned the devastating cuts to human services and education…that he himself made.
“The General Assembly handed him a budget that increased spending by slightly more than 3 percent, which to me is a pretty good increase. I don’t think the people I represent get an increase in their home budgets of 3 percent a year.
“I completely understand his concern for the structural deficit and we do need to work together to address that. But I don’t think getting in front of the cameras today to berate the Legislature and tell us to get new jobs if we don’t like his plan is the way to go about it.
“If he wants to sit down at the negotiating table and have a serious discussion, we can get this completed and do it in a way that is fiscally responsible to the citizens of Pennsylvania.”
Questions about these bills or any legislative issue should be directed to Sonney’s Corry district office at (814) 664-9126 or his Harborcreek office at (814) 897-2080.
Representative Curt Sonney
4th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Scott Little
717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com
RepSonney.com