Gov. Wolf, in Chesco, Promotes Natural Gas Drilling Tax as Benefit For Pennsylvania’s Schools

By Tony Romeo

THORNDALE, Pa. (CBS) — Governor Tom Wolf visited an elementary school in Chester County this morning, to kick off his push to impose a tax on natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania.

Wolf says his natural gas drilling tax plan could raise $1 billion, most of which would go to education.  He expressed optimism about this proposal of his, and others.

“What’s heartening for me -– I’ve been there a little over three weeks now -– is how much we agree,” the governor said of the legislature.  “I mean, we all want the same ends.”  He said everyone in Harrisburg wants a strong economy and better schools.

But state senate majority leader Jake Corman (R-central Pa.) has a bit of a different take on the governor.

“Most of the things he’s done so far are pretty ideologically driven,” Corman says.  “And that’s okay — he can lay out his agenda that way.  But ultimately, he’s going to have to deal with a Republican House and a Republican Senate that are going to have different ideological views, and hopefully we will find somewhere in the middle.”

Corman said the state senate will hold hearings on the natural gas tax proposal but he wouldn’t handicap chances of its approval.