Gov. Tom Wolf has spent a considerable amount of time this year pitching his plan to “restore” Pennsylvania through revenue from a shale gas tax, but House Republicans who stand in the way of Wolf’s proposal see a different path forward — one that attracts energy sector jobs to Pennsylvania through tax credits and permitting relief.

 

GOP lawmakers on Wednesday reiterated their desire to pass the “Energize PA” package helmed by House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), which is designed to be a catalyst for job creation in the state.

To increase transparency among natural gas companies, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) will soon be reintroducing legislation that would give property owners more information about their royalty payments. 

Yaw, the chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, says landowners are often left confused by vague deductions on their royalty check stubs. 

Surrounded by local government officials, educators and business owners, Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday called on legislators to rally behind funding to expand broadband access in rural areas as part of his Restore Pennsylvania initiative.

 

The plan — which proposes funding $4.5 billion worth of capital projects through a severance tax on natural gas — would create the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Program, which would provide financial assistance to businesses, nonprofits, local governments and rural electric cooperatives to develop the infrastructure necessary to provide high-speed internet in low-access areas. 

Does support for Gov. Tom Wolf’s $4.5 billion severance tax-funded infrastructure plan equate to support for natural gas production? Some climate activists believe it does and are pressuring state lawmakers to rescind their support for Wolf’s Restore Pennsylvania initiative.

 

Activists from the Better Path Coalition — a network of approximately 30 environmentally-focused organizations — have been targeting co-sponsors of Wolf’s plan on social media in an effort to get them to remove their name from the legislation.

A wide-ranging Fiscal Code bill was sent to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk Thursday, bringing the 2019-2020 budget one step closer to enactment.

The legislation, which helps outline specifics of the annual spending plan, passed the House and the Senate on Thursday, setting in place procedures that could affect environmental policy, energy costs, and the state’s preparedness for emergencies.