House Republicans aren’t closing the door on including components of their tax-free alternative to Gov. Tom Wolf’s “Restore Pennsylvania” plan in this year’s budget. 

As lawmakers reported two bills from the House GOP’s “Energize PA” package out of committee on Tuesday, House Appropriations Chairman Stan Saylor (R-York) said it’s possible that the package — which seeks to incentivize Pennsylvania’s energy sector by providing tax credits and additional grant opportunities for private businesses  — could be included in the budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. 

The long-awaited bill for Gov. Tom Wolf’s Restore Pennsylvania infrastructure plan is finally here, and based on the number of co-sponsors alone, the Democratic governor is just a few votes shy of majority support for his plan to fund capital projects through a severance tax on natural gas. 

 

Despite almost having enough support to get the bill to his desk, members of Republican leadership remain staunchly opposed to the idea, with the Speaker of the House labeling the $4.5 billion proposal as an “irresponsible” job-killer. 

As Gov. Tom Wolf continues touring the state to pitch the possibilities of his Restore Pennsylvania infrastructure plan, Senate Republicans are readying a similar plan that looks to address many of the same issues without a tax on natural gas extraction. 

Instead, Senators Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) and Pat Stefano (R-Fayette) want to remove Wolf’s 2015 moratorium on natural gas drilling on state forest land, which would allow the state to lease the land to drilling companies, resulting in new revenue. 

Gov. Tom Wolf was joined by state and local lawmakers Wednesday to advocate for his “Restore Pennsylvania” plan, a $4.5 billion proposal that would fund a series of “high-impact” projects through revenue generated from a severance tax on the extraction of natural gas. 

Wolf’s plan aspires to tackle a number of projects, including rural broadband internet access, storm preparedness, blight and lead remediation, as well as various infrastructure and transportation-related initiatives. 

House lawmakers are considering a bill that aims to cut down on the impact of natural gas drilling by allowing for longer horizontal drilling laterals across multiple units.
 
Sponsored by Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion), HB 247 would allow for cross unit drilling, given that drill operators secure valid leases for the land on which they drill. Supporters of the bill say it would create a less disruptive environment, limiting the amount of drills, well pads, access roads and pipelines necessary for the drilling of natural gas.