HARRISBURG – State Rep. Camille “Bud” George, majority chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said Pennsylvania taxpayers will not be fooled by obscene Marcellus Shale gas drillers’ campaign contributions to lawmakers.
“If one segment is not paying a fair share in taxes, then it means other segments – Pennsylvania families – are paying an unfair share,” said George, D-74 of Houtzdale. “Marcellus Shale gas drillers in Pennsylvania have not paid a penny in severance taxes – a corporate welfare loophole not available in any other major gas-producing state.
“Extraction of natural gas from the Commonwealth comes at a chilling cost to taxpayers, our communities and our natural resources,” he said. “Three years of gas industry tax evasion – homeowners pay property taxes yet the industry does not — must end.”
George said an analysis links gas industry campaign contributions to opposition to a severance tax.
“The study reveals state Senate members have averaged more than $8,100 in gas industry contributions, and House members more than $1,700,” George said. “Even more telling is that the 94 House members who voted last week against a severance tax received 3.5 times more in campaign contributions than the 104 Republicans and Democrats who stood up for taxpayers, their communities and water supplies.”
The analysis by Common Cause and Conservation Voters is available online at www.marcellusmoney.org. The website also lists contributions to individual lawmakers.
“The bipartisan measure, Senate Bill 1155, that the House sent to the Senate before the Oct. 1 deadline offers a severance tax on the industry that is lower than the tax paid in Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming – all of which have booming natural gas industries,” George said. “Few think Senate Bill 1155 cannot be refined, especially with increased funding to our municipalities and removal of limitations on how communities and counties may use the money.
“There’s room for compromise, but the final measure must serve the Commonwealth, not the industry.”
