Senate Finance votes SB 76 out of committee

The Senate Finance Committee passed Senate Bill 76 (Argall, R-Schuylkill), the Property Tax Elimination Bill, out of the committee this morning in a six-to-five vote. The room was filled with excitement as nearly 140 Realtors® in support of the legislation created a need for additional space in the meeting room. Cheers rang out throughout the room when the bill passed. This keeps the debate on the bill moving forward.

Those voting in favor of the bill include Sen. Blake, Democratic chair (D-Lackawanna); Sen. Browne (R- Lehigh); Sen. Brubaker, Republican chair (R-Lancaster); Sen. Eichelberger (R-Blair); Sen. Scarnati (R-Clearfield) and Sen. Wozniak (D-Cambria). Nay votes include Sen. Greenleaf (R-Montgomery), Sen. Hutchinson (R-Venango), Sen. Smith (D-Allegheny), Sen. Teplitz (D-Dauphin), and Sen. Vance (R-Cumberland).​

PAR President Kim Skumanick said, “PAR has been a strong supporter of this bill because we’ve seen how crippling property taxes are in so many communities. Seniors are losing their homes due to overwhelming property taxes, and young families are priced out of homeownership. We’re grateful for the support of those senators who voted to keep this discussion moving.”

PAR issued a call to action yesterday and it resulted in a record-breaking 4,400 emails to state senators in less than 24 hours. “This was a phenomenal response,” Skumanick said. “Watch your email in the coming weeks as SB 76 continues to move through the legislative process.”

Sen. Dave Argall spoke before the committee, urging support for the bill. “In the six counties I represent, there’s not a meeting to go to or a grocery store I’m in when I’m not approached by constituents asking what we’re doing about property taxes. Our current method of funding schools is simply outmoded and archaic.”

Finance Committee Chair Mike Brubaker said, “I know that Sen. Argall and Sen. Folmer have invested an enormous amount of time on this legislation. We’ve been addressing versions of this bill since 2011 and we’ve probably spent hundreds of thousands of hours listening to consumers who are concerned about property taxes.”

As SB 76 continues to move through the legislative process, members and consumers can follow its progress at realreform76.com and on Twitter and Facebook.