HARRISBURG, Nov. 24, 2015 – Because of the hard work and groundswell of support from Berks County residents and Pennsylvanians, state Sen. Judy Schwank said today she is disappointed with the Senate’s defeat of a bill that would have eliminated the regressive property tax, but she said she will fight on to change how the commonwealth pays for public education.
“One no vote does not mean the issue is dead forever,” Sen. Schwank said today. “I’m pledged to resolving the unfair burden that school property taxes place on property owners.
“Let’s find the objections to property tax reform and work to fine tune the plan and educate others on its benefits. Our seniors deserve our continued focus. Our schools must have a better and more reliable source of public investment.
“Many of us understand that this is a complicated issue. It lacks uniform application across the commonwealth. It looks to replace one large source of revenue with others. But because we were so close to getting this done in the Senate, it means we are just that close to finding the ultimate solution.”
An amendment that mirrored Senate Bill 76 was defeated by the Senate Monday evening, 25-24.
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