“Poll after poll has shown that nearly 3/4 of all Pennsylvanians want the drilling industry to pay a robust tax, and want local communities to be able to keep industrial drilling from being developed near schools, hospitals, and residences, but the House GOP leadership turned a deaf ear,” said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture). “They jammed this bill through on a party line vote, denying legislators from both parties from even offering bipartisan amendments that were in line with the will of the public.
“Of course, no one should be surprised by this,” continued Jarrett. “With virtually no notice, HB 1950, a 127-page bill replete with sweetheart deals for the multi-million dollar drilling industry, was forced through the House Finance Committee earlier this month using the same strong arm tactics. In fact, some of the committee members didn’t even have an opportunity to read it before the vote occurred.
“They shut down debate, with good reason,” continued Jarrett. “Governor Corbett and the House GOP leadership knew that if there had been a fair and open debate, this bill would not be the one that passed.
“This bill is a disaster in many ways,” continued Jarrett. “The impact fee is optional to counties and so small it’s laughable – and it’s the industry that’s doing the laughing. And restricting local governments of their ability to protect their citizens and businesses is simply a violation of the very essence of democracy.
“This bill, and the Senate bill passed yesterday, are simply wrong, and should be killed – if the legislators decide to actually represent the citizens of Pennsylvania, and not their campaign financiers,” said Jarrett. “The people of Pennsylvania – and the environment – deserve better than having their rights sold off to the highest bidder.”
PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization that advances policies to protect and improve the state’s environment and economy. With offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Wilkes-Barre, PennFuture’s activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state, and federal courts, advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level, public education, and assisting citizens in public advocacy.
