HB 76 HAS BEEN INTRODUCED! 

At our (PA Tax Cyber Coalition) request our good friend and ally, Representative Jim Cox (R-129, Berks, Lancaster), today (10/5) formally introduced the Property Tax Independence Act in the House of Representatives.  A link to the text of the bill is at the bottom of this message. While there is no chance that the legislation will be acted upon with only a few session days remaining, the introduction at this time serves two important purposes. 

First, it puts our opponents on notice and assures our supporters and allies that HB 76 is alive and well and WILL be pursued in the future.  Second, the introduction allows us to see the Representatives who have declared their support for the legislation by adding their names as co-sponsors.  This is invaluable information for us in the upcoming November election to help us determine who deserves our votes. 

 The reason HB 76 was not introduced sooner was because of House Rule 25 which states:  “When a bill or resolution has been defeated by the House, it shall not be reintroduced, or, except as provided in Rule 26, be reconsidered, nor shall it be in order to consider a similar one, or to act on a Senate bill or resolution of like import, during the same session.”   Our concern was that if HB 76 was formally introduced opponents might attempt to rush it to the House floor for a vote before we were ready in an attempt to defeat it.

  If that would have occurred opponents would have screamed “Rule 25” when the bill was passed in the Senate and sent to the House and would have killed the bill.  Not introducing was strategically the correct thing to do because we cannot afford to give our opponents even the slightest advantage. The list of the Representatives who have added their names as co-sponsors of HB 76 is below; they deserve our vote in November.  If your Representative’s name is not on the list, contact them to find out why they refuse to support the PEOPLE’s legislation.
Accept NO excuses - there are NONE.  If they still refuse to support HB 76, plan to vote them out of office in November if possible.

 HB 76 CO-SPONSORS: 
Bryan Barbin (D-71, Cambria, Somerset)
Stephen Barrar (R- 160, Chester, Delaware)
Stephen Bloom (R-199, Cumberland)
Karen Boback (R-117, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming)
Rosemary Brown (PRIME) (R-189, Monroe, Pike)
Thomas Caltagirone (D-127, Berks)
Jim Christiana (R-15, Beaver, Washington)J
im Cox (PRIME) (R-129, Berks, Lancaster)
Bryan Cutler (R-100, Lancaster)
Tina Davis (PRIME) (D-141, Bucks)
Russ Diamond (R-102, Lebanon)
Brian Ellis (R-11, Butler)
Mindy Fee (R-37, Lancaster)
John Galloway (D-140, Bucks)
Jaret Gibbons (PRIME) (D-10, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence)
Mark Gillen (R-128, Berks, Lancaster)
Keith Gillespie (R-47, York)
Robert Godshall (R-53, Montgomery)
Neal Goodman (D-123, Schuylkill)
Keith Greiner (R-43, Lancaster)
Marcia Hahn (R-138, Northampton)
Adam Harris (R-82, Franklin, Juniata, Mifflin)
Doyle Heffley (R-122, Carbon)
Susan Helm (R-104, Dauphin, Lebanon)
Tim Hennessey (R-26, Chester, Montgomery)
David Hickernell (R-98, Dauphin, Lancaster)
Kristin Hill (R-93, York)
Barry Jozwiak (R-5, Berks)
Aaron Kaufer (R-120, Luzerne)
Rob Kauffman (PRIME) (R-89, Franklin)
Sid Michaels Kavulich (D-114, Lackawanna)
Jerry Knowles (R-124, Berks, Carbon, Schuylkill)
John Lawrence (R-13, Chester, Lancaster)
Tim Mahoney (PRIME) (D-51, Fayette, Somerset)
David Maloney (R-130, Berks)
Daniel McNeill (D-133, Lehigh)
Steven Mentzer (R-97, Lancaster)
Nick Miccarelli (R-162, Delaware)
David Millard (R-109, Columbia)
Gerald Mullery (PRIME) (D-119, Luzerne)
Thomas Murt (R-152, Montgomery. Philadelphia)
David Parker (R-115, Monroe)
Thomas Quigley (PRIME) (R-146, Montgomery)
Jack Rader (R-176, Monroe)
Dave Reed (R-62, Indiana)
Mike Regan (R-92, Cumberland, York)
Mark Rozzi (PRIME) (D-126, Berks)
Rick Saccone (PRIME) (R-39, Allegheny, Washington)
Stan Saylor (R-94, York)
Justin Simmons (R-131, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton)
Craig Staats (R-145, Bucks)
Will Tallman (R-193, Adams, Cumberland)
Mike Tobash (R-125, Dauphin, Schuylkill)
Marcy Toepel (R-147, Montgomery)
Tarah Toohil (R-116, Luzerne)
Dan Truitt (R-156, Chester)
Mike Vereb (R-150) Montgomery)
David Zimmerman (R-99, Lancaster)
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0076

Last edited by Common Sense (10/06/2016 8:01 am)