Gov. Tom Wolf | Facebook
Gov. Tom Wolf | Facebook
Gov. Tom Wolf has laid out his 2021-22 budget proposal.
Wolf’s budget plan covers an increase in the state’s income tax rate to augment funding for public education by approximately $2 billion.
The governor’s budget proposal didn’t sit well with the Republicans.
According to some Republicans, the increase would have a negative impact on small businesses and working families, who are already placed in a challenging situation through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking the increased revenue from the income tax to grow state spending rather than provide meaningful school property tax relief is a deal-breaker for many Pennsylvanians who have seen their school property taxes remain the same if not increase while they have been laid off from their job through no fault of their own,” state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York Township), said in a statement.
Wolf is also proposing Pennsylvania's personal income tax rate to increase from 3.07% to 4.49%, which raised concerns of some Republicans.
Sen. Pat Browne (R-Allentown) said that the tax proposal was unconstitutional and that under Pennsylvania's constitution, tax rates must be uniform.
Republican lawmakers also argued that the governor’s tax proposal would lead to a 46 percent surge in personal income tax rates, the York Dispatch reported.
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