Join me tonight from 6-7 p.m. for a
telephone town hall

With the ongoing deliberations surrounding our state budget and several other important issues gaining traction in both the Senate and House of Representatives, I’m holding a telephone town hall event this evening to hear directly from you.

You may be one of thousands of residents who receives a call from me this evening around asking you to participate in my event 6 p.m. However, if you do not receive a phone call from me, you can still participate by calling 1-877-229-8493 and entering the following PIN: 111786.

I look forward to hearing your questions and your ideas about the governor’s budget vetoes and the issues surrounding the budget debate during tonight’s telephone town hall event from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. 

The event allows you to ask me questions and share your perspectives with me on state and local issues from the comfort of your own home.

During the hourlong event, I plan on asking several questions about the state budget, school property tax reform, taxing of Marcellus Shale, reducing the size of the legislature, and other issues.

Residents also have the option the stream the event on a computer, tablet or smartphone by clicking here.

Here are the questions I’ll be asking this evening:

• Over the last few weeks, the Senate and House worked together to pass an emergency funding bill to provide school districts, social service agencies and nonprofit organizations with funding to operate while the Senate, House and governor continue to debate the overall state budget. The emergency funding bill would have provided $88.6 million in funding for the 21 school districts in the two counties I represent. The governor vetoed the plan, leaving many of these schools and social service agencies in limbo for funding, noting that more funding should be allocated. Do you think it was right for the governor to veto the emergency funding bill?
• Tomorrow, the House of Representatives is poised to take up the governor’s proposed tax increase legislation in its entirety. If it passes, the bill would move to the Senate for consideration. The governor’s plan would provide historic levels of education funding by increasing several taxes, including increasing the Personal Income Tax from 3.07 to 3.57 percent; taxing lottery winnings; placing a sales tax on music downloads, amusement park and sporting event tickets, cable television, dry-cleaning and other personal services; increasing the price-per-pack-of-cigarettes by $1; taxing e-cigarettes, and imposing a severance tax on Marcellus Shale. His plan would raise an additional $1.78 billion this year, and $3.2 billion next year. If this plan were to pass the House of Representatives, do you think I should support it or oppose it?
• The Senate currently is debating several property tax reform proposals – some that reform the system, some that provide reductions and one that completely eliminates school property taxes. Which plan is your preference?
• The current state impact fee on Marcellus Shale provided Berks County with $396,233.79 and Schuylkill County with $140,925.26 in 2013, but some individuals believe that we should adopt a severance tax, as well, in order to increase spending at our public schools. Do you support a severance tax on Marcellus Shale to increase funding for public schools?
• Representative Jerry Knowles has sponsored a proposal that would reduce the size of the state’s General Assembly. His bill would reduce the size of the State House of Representatives from 203 members to 151 members. The bill recently passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 139-56 and is awaiting consideration in the Senate. The legislation is estimated to save the state approximately $10-15 million per year. Opponents of the bill believe that this reduction could hurt rural areas. Do you support efforts to reduce the size of the state legislature?
• I’m currently working on a bill to give more flexibility to medium-sized grocers to sell carryout beer. My bill would allow local grocers to sell carryout beer if they obtain an available restaurant license. What do you think?
• The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved my bill last week that would add protective measures for highway construction zone workers. Specifically, my bill would allow for a five-year pilot program for speed cameras in active highway work zones. Motorists exceeding the speed limit by 11 miles per hour would be subject to a $100 fine. A similar program in Maryland saw an 85 percent speed reduction in work zones. Do you support this plan to protect highway workers and motorists in active work zones?

I hope you will be able to join us this evening. 

Sincerely, 

As Chairman of the Senate Majority Policy Committee, Sen. Argall is the first Senator from the 29th District to serve in a leadership role since 1861. Argall represents all of Schuylkill County and northern and western Berks County.

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