By Pa. State Senator David G. Argall (R-29), Pa. State Senator Mike Folmer (R-48), Pa. State Senator Judy Schwank (D-11), Pa. State Senator John Yudichak (D-14)

Despite renewed special interest attacks at the capitol in Harrisburg, the fight for eliminating the unfair school property tax begun by 79 grassroots taxpayer groups across the state is making some real progress.

Across the 11 counties we represent, the number one question we hear at our town hall meetings is: When will the legislature eliminate school property taxes?

Last year, we introduced a similar proposal drafted by the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations. The Senate Finance Committee held a public hearing on this proposal and we asked for a nonpartisan analysis of the bill to provide detailed funding projections. The Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) identified several problems in the original proposal. Special interest groups have used the report as a weapon against our efforts but we view it as a roadmap to achieve true property tax reform and we have moved quickly to amend the bill.

Last year's proposal garnered 13 co-sponsors, or 26 percent of the total state Senate.  This year’s proposal, Senate Bill 76, corrects the defects in the original bill, as detailed in the 80-page analysis provided by the IFO.  Even more importantly, as a result of the grassroots efforts of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations this year, 22 Senators have now co-sponsored the bill – 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats – an increase of 9 Senators from last year. We continue to forge new coalitions and pick up support from all corners of the state. Groups like the Western Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers, the Wilkes-Barre City Taxpayers Association, and the South Eastern Tax Reform Coalition are leading the charge to eliminate this tax.

The Senate and House Finance Committees have asked the IFO to complete an updated analysis of Senate Bill 76 in the next few months. The issue of funding public schools is a $13 billion problem and we welcome their nonpartisan, professional analysis to ensure we provide a dollar-for-dollar match for basic education.

In the last few months, because of growing grassroots efforts across the state, support for the bill has grown from 13 to 22 State Senators. The number we need to achieve in the Senate is 26 votes for passage, and then it heads over to the House of Representatives, where we need 102 votes. Representatives Jim Cox and Mark Gillen have discussed this proposal with the Governor, and he is on the record with them stating he would sign the bill when it reaches his desk.

We look forward to continuing our bipartisan fight to advance this issue.  In our local newspapers, we frequently read about the thousands of sheriff’s sales that occur each year across the state. We hear this fundamental principle every day, from Marietta all the way to West Pittston: No tax should have the power to leave you homeless.

State Rep. Tom Quigley, R-Montgomery:

"Finding an alternative source of funding for public education has always been at the top of my priority list, so I am very pleased to serve on this committee. I am looking forward to collaborating with my colleagues to find a solution to this issue. It is something I often hear about from the residents I serve who struggle to afford their property taxes."

PA State Rep. Tom Quigley - Quigley to Serve on House Select Committee to Study Property Taxes

In the last-minute flurry before adjourning for the summer, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved a resolution by State Rep. Tom Quigley to set up a committee to study property tax reform. It's not the same as approving HB 1776 to eliminate school property taxes, but at least the issue will be kept alive in Harrisburg.

PA State Rep. Tom Quigley - House Approves Quigley Plan to Study Property Tax Solution

Here's a quick way to save a few million dollars. Trip the 500 school superintendents in Pennsylvania making between $100,000 and $200,000 a year down to about 40.

Columnist Paul Golias: We don't need 500 school systems. The administrative overkill is phenomenal. Luzerne County could function well as one school district. Public education in Pennsylvania likely could work with 40 districts. Smaller, rural-type counties could be tied together.

Trim down number of school districts - News - Citizens Voice

State Rep. Jim Cox raises an interesting question of fairness in the way Pennsylvania funds public schools. The burden is carried primarily by property owners, but only 4 million of Pennsylvania's 12 million residents are property owners.

A fairer way to fund public education is a combination of a sales tax and income tax, argues Cox.

Cox: Property Tax Independence Act creates ‘fair way’ to tax

On Monday, more than 500 taxpayers rallied in Harrisburg in favor of a bill to eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania. The Associated Press and the Harrisburg Patriot-News did not send a reporter or photographer to the event. Today, less than 100 union members held a rally in favor of higher spending for education and welfare programs. The Associated Press has a story and the Harrisburg paper has a photo of the union members all wearing purple T-shirts. Anyone see any bias in how the liberal media covers events? And I digress, but did the 100 union members skip work to attend the rally?

Homeowners Rally for Property Tax Replacement at State Capitol

David Baldinger, administrator of the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition, has issued the following press release on an upcoming rally at the State Capitol in Harrisburg for push for the elimination of property taxes in Pennsylvania:

Monday, May 7, is a critical date for the Property Tax Independence Act.  On that day prime sponsors Rep. Jim Cox and Sen. David Argall, other members of the General Assembly who support our efforts, and taxpayers from across Pennsylvania will gather in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg for a rally to declare our independence from the tyranny of property taxes.

What: Capitol Rally for Property Tax Independence
When: Monday, May 7
Time: 10:00 AM
Where: The State Capitol Rotunda, Harrisburg

This event is tremendously important to our efforts.  We need to demonstrate to the Governor and to the Harrisburg lawmakers, in the most passionate manner possible, that we have had enough of ineffective property tax “relief” measures and that we will only settle for the complete elimination of this onerous and unfair tax through the enactment of House Bill 1776 and Senate Bill 1400, the Property Tax Independence Act.

If you believe in and support the total elimination of the school property tax through the Property Tax Independence Act your attendance at this rally is vital!

This will be a major media event that will help to publicize far and wide the news of the Property Tax Independence Act.  Masses of taxpayers will make a huge impression, so please make every effort to be present for this historic rally.  Bring your friends and neighbors, arrange car pools, spread the word as widely as possible, and do all you can to show your support.  A flyer promoting the rally that you can print to post or distribute is available at the link below.

Some groups in various areas of the state have arranged for bus transportation at reasonable rates.  The list of bus trips and the areas they serve are available on the PTCC website at www.ptcc.us/arc042312.htm

We absolutely need you to attend!  Feel free to bring signs, too, but be sure to not attach them to sticks – they’re not allowed in the Capitol.

Join the letter-writing campaign to eliminate Pennsylvania property taxes.

Voice your support for property tax reform

Pennsylvania taxpayers need to get behind House Bill 1776 if they want to see school property taxes eliminated.

Voice your support for property tax reform

The long-awaited introduction of House Bill 1776 is scheduled for Monday, April 2, in Harrisburg. This is the best bill out there to eliminate Pennsylvania's onerous property tax, which places a heavy burden on homeowners to fund public education. The bill has bipartisan support.

Here's some information released today by Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks, the prime sponsor of the bill:

WHAT: A news conference to unveil the Property Tax Independence Act (House Bill 1776/Senate Bill 1400), a proposal to completely replace school property taxes in Pennsylvania with alternative state revenue sources.

WHO: State Representative Jim Cox (R-129), state Senator Dave Argall (R-29), state Representative Rick Saccone (R-39), state Representative Tom Caltagirone (D-127), Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition President David Baldinger, property owner Patrick Briegel, and additional members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

WHEN: Monday, April 2, at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Capitol Media Center, Main Capitol, Harrisburg

LIVE WEBSTREAMING: The news conference will be streamed live at www.RepJimCox.com.

From an editorial in The Pottstown Mercury:

Gov. Tom Corbett is not the real culprit in the schools funding crisis, although his refusal to acknowledge the problem adds to the frustration. Even the current legislators are not wholly to blame, even though they hold the power to fix it.

The inequity in Pennsylvania public schools funding is rooted in a flawed system of taxation that predates anyone now in office. The need for property tax reform has been bandied about in Harrisburg for decades, but no governor or Legislature in our lifetime has touched it.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Pa. property tax is root of evil in school funding

Speaking a recent forum in Bucks County on efforts to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania, David Baldinger of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations said 10,000 Pennsylvanians lost their homes last year because they couldn’t pay their taxes.

Plan to abolish property tax gets warm reception - The Intelligencer

Here's a perfect example of why property taxes should not be used to fund public schools in Pennsylvania. A corporation appeals its tax assessment and wins, forcing a school district to give back $6.5 million.

Spring-Ford School Board agrees to pay back $6.5M to GlaxoSmithKline - pottsmerc.com

Learn more about efforts to eliminate property taxes at the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition website.

Is it fair to charge parents of students who get involved in high school sports or other extra-curricular activities additional fees? Parents are already paying property taxes to support the schools. Why should they be penalized if their children want to stay active? What kind of message does it send to kids. Slackers don't have to pay?

Pay-to-play fees add new burden to family budgets - pottsmerc.com

From an editorial in The Pottstown Mercury:

A legislative forum was held Monday at Daniel Boone Middle School for discussion of tax proposals — a pretty dry topic for a pleasant summer night.

But the forum brought out a full house — nearly 400 people — to listen intently to proposals for tax reform that have been talked about in Harrisburg for 40 years.

Berks County residents demand Pennsylvania eliminate school property taxes. So what's wrong with the rest of the state?

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Berks Countians understand need for tax reform - pottsmerc.com

250 turn out for tax reform session in Amity - pottsmerc.com

WHAT: State Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) will host a town hall meeting to provide information on efforts to reduce and/or eliminate school property taxes. He has often referred to Berks County as "ground zero" in the property tax debate, and is holding this meeting to update constituents on the challenges facing the state Legislature in dealing with this issue.

WHO: Maloney will be joined by other members of the General Assembly, including the co-chairmen of the School Property Tax Relief Caucus, Reps. Jim Cox (R-Berks) and Seth Grove (R-York), as well as Reps. Mark Gillen (R-Berks), Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery), Marcie Toepel (R-Montgomery) and Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh).

WHEN: Monday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Daniel Boone Middle School auditorium, 1845 Weavertown Road, Douglassville.

LIVE WEBSTREAMING: The meeting may be viewed through Maloney's website, www.RepMaloney.com

State Rep. David M. Maloney (R-130th Dist.) will host a school property tax forum on Monday, Aug. 29, at the Daniel Boone Middle School Auditorium in Amity Township.

The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and is open to the public.

"I have long said that Berks County is "Ground Zero" for the debate over school property taxes. It is the issue I hear about most frequently from constituents," Maloney said in a press release announcing the forum.

From the release:

"Our agenda for Aug. 29th is to lay out to the public where we are at this point in time in the fight to reduce and eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania. Several of my State House colleagues and I will present the most current data we have and discuss the challenges we face in our 130th District and statewide."

State Reps. Seth Grove, R-York, and Jim Cox, R-Berks, who are both co-team leaders for the House Majority Policy Committee will be on hand as well as Reps. Doug Reichley R- Berks/Lehigh, Marcy Toepel, R-Montgomery, and Mark Gillen, R-Berks, who will all participate in the forum.

"We have a lot of information to put forward and we will talk about previous tax relief efforts like legalized gaming and Act 1," Maloney said. "We will talk about school district growth versus state funding over the last 10 years. At the end of the presentation we will take questions."

State lawmakers from Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties have been pushing for the elimination of school property taxes for years, Maloney noted.

"No two counties in Pennsylvania are alike as we all struggle with higher school property taxes," Maloney said. "In some parts of Pennsylvania, school property taxes are not an issue, but they are a problem here. We have information and numbers that most people have not seen and it looks at school property taxes on a statewide view. I felt it was necessary to share this data. There are hot spots in Pennsylvania where this is a serious concern. We in the southeast live in a hot spot."

"Part of my purpose for this event is to also tell people that we will continue to work to correct the problems with the school property tax system," Maloney said.