Pennsylvania: Three Revenue-Generating Bills

Pennsylvania legislators have become unusually preoccupied with padding the budget with money from motorists like you and me lately.  They need to know that we will not accept their legislation without a fight.  Here are three ways they’re trying to take money out of your pocket: 

1.       There is legislation to add tolls to Interstate 80 as part of Act 44, the transportation budget plan.  Combining the gas tax currently in place with additional tolls places an unreasonable burden on motorists. Better government spending and not allowing transportation funds to be diverted to other programs are the answer to budget problems, not new fees.

2.       There is a bill, HB1559, which would turn the red-light cameras into speed cameras.  This allows the city to generate revenue through speeding violations in addition to red-light violations, while at the same time making no improvement to the safety of motorists.

3.       The Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee is considering of legislation, HB247, which would convert school buses into mobile ticket cameras.  The bill would divert $100,000 from the state's gas tax fund to kick start the ticketing pilot program.

We need your help to defeat these proposals.  If your legislators don’t hear from you, they will assume that you approve of their actions.  Contact your legislators here and tell them that Pennsylvania drivers are not cash registers.