State Rep. John Taylor has some advice for fellow lawmakers as it relates to the June 30 deadline to pass a budget.
“Don’t make any vacation plans,” he said.
Pennsylvania has a Democratic governor, Tom Wolf, and large Republican majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Wolf has proposed a decrease in the property tax and increases in the sales and personal income taxes.
“I don’t think we’re going to get very far with that,” Taylor told reporters during a recent interview at his office at 4725–27 Richmond St. in Bridesburg.
Taylor (R-177th dist.) said some Republicans are calling for an elimination of property taxes, an idea that he added is gaining momentum. The plan would likely lead to sales and income tax hikes. The lawmaker said Wolf would do well to consider the idea.
“He might get somewhere,” Taylor said.
Taylor believes there is little chance of passing liquor store privatization, since Wolf doesn’t support the idea and the Senate has not shown interest in passing a bill. At the same time, he said Wolf could accept liquor privatization and pension reform as tradeoffs for changes to the tax structure.
Also, he thinks there is a good chance that a tax will be imposed on companies that drill for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, but that it won’t be as high as the 8 percent that Wolf has indicated he favors.
The legislator said drilling leads to jobs, cheaper energy and improved national security, since the U.S. is less dependent on other nations for oil.
“We’re desperately trying to make Philadelphia an energy hub here,” he said.
Taylor predicts that the GOP will pass a budget, and that Wolf will veto it.
When looking ahead to budget negotiations, Taylor does not believe service cuts alone can lead to a balanced budget.
“Somebody would have to show me how that’s going to happen,” he said.
Taylor serves as chairman of the House Transportation Committee. He’s happy that SEPTA has no plans for fare increases, noting that as many as 10,000 people in his district use mass transit to get to work.
The transportation committee will also look at new technology to curb drunken driving. There are ways, he said, to prevent a vehicle from working if the operator has alcohol in his system.
Technology will also come into play as the committee addresses how to slow down drivers traveling in work zones. Maryland, Taylor noted, uses technology to determine excessive speed at highway work sites.
One proposal that is dead, he said, is to calculate a driver’s speed from one turnpike exit to the next, and ticket motorists who exceed the speed limit.
According to Taylor, 78 percent of drivers use E-Z Pass. By the end of 2016, all tolls might be electronic.
“The need for toll takers is becoming less and less,” he said.
On other topics, Taylor said there is a push to pass a bill that would create a mandatory minimum two-year prison sentence for anyone carrying a gun illegally.
Soon, he will open another district office at 4117 Longshore Ave.
Taylor is excited about Republican Martina White’s win in the 170th Legislative District special election. She’ll join the House on Monday, and Taylor said she’ll bring a good work ethic and intelligence to the job.
“She is awesome,” he said.
On a down note, Taylor — first elected in 1984 — said he thinks the legislature has changed to the point where soldiers are dictating to generals. In other words, junior members do not show the proper respect to members of leadership.
“I can’t imagine yelling at Matt Ryan,” he said of the late respected House speaker from Delaware County. ••
