State Rep. Tina Davis and House Democratic lawmakers say their strategy will support good jobs, fight for quality schools and promote a fairer tax structure
By Tom Waring
The Times
State Rep. Tina Davis joined a group of House Democratic lawmakers to unveil Plan for PA, a strategy that they say supports good jobs, fights for quality schools and promotes a fairer tax structure.
The plan involves several legislative initiatives sponsored by House Democrats. Davis is introducing a bill that would reinvest money made from Pennsylvania’s Business in Our Sites program into more shovel-ready projects.
Sites targeted under the program are old or undeveloped properties that are planned and zoned for improvement. Initially, the Commonwealth Financing Authority allocated $300 million in BIOS grant and loan funds for businesses to improve sites and create jobs. Repayment on the loans is then used to fund more projects.
Davis’ bill would allow the CFA to use its current portfolio as security to raise an additional $50 million to $100 million for even more projects.
“Too many bills coming out of Harrisburg are falling tone-deaf on families out here in the real world,” Davis said. “Our plan is to put the focus back on families and the good jobs they need. Add that to other bills in the package focused on education and health care, and that’s how we improve things in Pennsylvania. It’s really that simple.”
The priorities were announced following several particularly divisive weeks of session in Harrisburg in which Democrats claim the Republican majority brought up bills that would attack a woman’s right to choose, children’s right to health care and the ability for unions to collectively bargain.
“These priorities are not what everyday Pennsylvanians are asking from their government,” she said. “They want access to good-paying jobs, affordable health care and secure retirement. We need to correct the course of action in Harrisburg and align it with those values.”
More information is available at plan4pa.pahouse.com ••
