PennFuture Unhappy With Proposed Budget

The public interest group Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future is unhappy with the proposed "compromise" budget that Pennsylvania has put forth. PennFuture is unhappy that the proposed budget includes a deal for natural gas drillers that does not require them to pay severance taxes. President and CEO of PennFuture Jan Jarrett says natural gas drillers pay severance taxes in every state they drill in except for New York. Jarrett says the proposed budget calls for leasing of land to the natural gas drillers which at current market values could result in over 200,000 acres being leased at $500 an acre. Jarrett says PennFuture is unhappy because natural gas drilling has a big environmental impact.