It's Gov Vs. Grover On Gas Drilling Fees
Philadelphia (CBS) – As the state legislature continues its efforts to send him a bill that would impose "impact fees" on natural gas drillers in Pennsylvania, Governor Corbett now finds himself on the wrong side of an anti-tax crusader.
Corbett signed Grover Norquist's no tax-hike pledge during the campaign for governor. Now Norquist has declared that a natural gas drilling bill passed by the state House does, in fact, include a tax. And the language in the House bill authorizing counties to impose fees on drilling is based largely on the governor's proposal.
During a recent appearance at the Pennsylvania Press Club in Harrisburg, Corbett disagreed with Norquist's assessment.
"There are impacts to the community – and the reason I put it on the counties to do it is they're the ones best suited to determine what all the impacts are... we reserved a portion for the state to deal the state impacts in those communities… but they are impacts and I don't believe that they are a tax and so I guess we have a difference of opinion."
House and Senate leaders are attempting to resolve differences between drilling bills passed by each chamber by the end of the year.
Reported By Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio
