Gov. Tom Wolf is scaling back his tax wish-list ahead of an expected vote in the House on Wednesday.
The revised proposal, released Tuesday afternoon, includes a smaller personal income tax increase and a natural gas drilling tax, but no sales tax hike or increases to cigarette and business taxes.
Under Wolf’s plan, the personal income tax would go from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent, with a wider exemption for poor households. The proposed 3.5 percent severance tax, plus an additional surcharge, would be tied to the price and amount of gas extracted.
The measure also includes some property tax relief, though it would be reserved for the elderly and disabled.
“At least it shows the governor is finally acknowledging he doesn’t have the support he needs for all of his proposals,” said Steve Miskin, spokesman for the GOP House majority leader.
Top Republicans don’t expect any of their members to vote for the plan. In the event that it fails in the House on Wednesday, they’re calling on the governor to drop the prospect of raising sales or personal income taxes.
But the governor is of the mind that a balanced budget, now more than three months late, will require broad-based tax increases.
“I’m grateful that I’ve been given the chance to test this,” said Wolf on Monday.
The administration has not shared its expected vote count.
