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.

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.