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WILKES-BARRE — Trains, lanes and pension reform pains were among the topics state legislators discussed Friday during a breakfast program held by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber.
The lawmakers spoke about hot issues in Harrisburg and responded to questions from the audience during the Chamber’s annual Legislative Breakfast at Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel & Conference Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Sen. John Blake, D-Archbald, said the legislature has just six days to work in this session and wasn’t sure how much can get done in that time period. But the most pressing task before them is to reform the law on how the state distributes gambling revenues under the Local Share Account program.
A recent state Supreme Court decision struck down the provision of the law related to the tax imposed on casinos that funds the LSA and directed the lawmakers “to remedy the problem within 120 days” by making the tax uniform, Blake said.
Locally, Plains Township receives approximately $2 million annually as the host municipality for the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino and, on average, $12 million has been awarded annually since 2007 to other municipalities in Luzerne County.
“There’s not a legislator in Harrisburg that wants to reopen the gaming statute,” Blake said.
The General Assembly can ask for an extension or come up with a remedy by the deadline of Jan. 20, he said.
Blake looked beyond January and the need for lawmakers to tackle pension reform. In order to get it done, they have to take steps to make sure the unfunded liability of $50 billion doesn’t “blow up,” contracts with unionized employees aren’t impaired, take into consideration the effects on the general fund and school districts and guarantee “a reasonable retirement security” to the pensioners.
“These are the caveats that we operate under,” Blake said.
Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca, said a big question for lawmakers is where to raise the money to reduce the unfunded liability caused by the state’s failure to pay into the pensions.
“It has to come from the commonwealth,” he said, adding that means “it’s always the taxpayers” who will pay for it.
Carroll, who sits on the Transportation Committee in the House of Representatives, provided an update on the ongoing road construction projects in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Work continues on Interstate 81 and the new bridges are being built with a third lane of travel to fit into proposed plans to widen the highway to three lanes in both directions from Nanticoke to Clarks Summit.
Projects to make it easier to access the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Dupont and Clarks Summit are further along, he said. The intent is to shift 15 to 20 percent of the traffic to the Turnpike and reduce the congestion on I-81. The daily traffic count on I-81 in Avoca is between 70,000 and 75,000 vehicles, he said.
When asked when that work will be done, he responded, “It’s measured in years. But it’s not measured in decades.”
Carroll also touched on the proposed passenger rail service between Scranton and Hoboken, N.J. He said he believes there’s a demand for it between Stroudsburg and Hoboken. “When it’s up and running,” extend it to Scranton, he said.
Reps. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, and Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, teamed up to speak about their concerns.
They agreed pension reform was necessary and touched on next year’s budget.
The state has not increased revenues and instead has relied on “robbing Peter to pay Paul” to make ends meet.
“Next year is going to be what I call the ‘Come to Jesus budget,’” Pashinski said.
He advocated for a severance tax on natural gas drilled in the Marcellus Shale and legalizing video poker gambling in bars as a new revenue source to bring approximately $300 million a year.
Kaufer had a dim view of next year’s budget, saying,”I think it’s going to be ugly.”
Property tax reform is still alive, he added.
