Scarnati's priorities: Redistricting, drilling fee, roads
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HARRISBURG -- The only thing the Legislature "absolutely must" do this fall is approve redrawn lines for the state's 18 congressional districts and the 253 state House and Senate districts, Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati said today.
"We are on track to get that done," he told the Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, so that the newly realigned districts can be used in the 2012 elections.
As far as fall priorities go, however, he described a proposal to sell the state's liquor stores as a losing proposition. Referencing the brief details he's seen so far of a study on that matter, the top Senate GOP leader said putting those licenses in private hands could leave the state requiring a tax increase to make up for lost revenue.
"People need to know what we're doing here," he told reporters after his luncheon remarks. "If they're all right paying more for liquor ... either we're going to cut something in the General Fund that we're paying for now, or we're going to have increase that gallonage tax under the bill as it's being proposed."
But Mr. Scarnati also said there are two "common sense matters" he wants to get done in October -- enacting a new impact fee on Marcellus Shale gas drilling and approving funds to improve ailing roads and bridges in the state.
He said the "sweet spot" of revenue he'd like to see from a shale impact tax is about $200 million. That would be used to help municipalities and counties where shale gas drilling is occurring to repair their roads and protect municipal water supplies and wells for homes. He said he'd like to enact a setback requirement for drilling to be a certain distance away from water supplies.
First Published September 26, 2011 2:20 pm
