Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

Rendell eyes revival of gas tax

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Gov. Rendell sought to restart talks over a natural gas extraction tax Monday, a day before he was poised to issue an executive order banning any further leasing of state forest land for Marcellus Shale drilling.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Gov. Rendell sought to restart talks over a natural gas extraction tax Monday, a day before he was poised to issue an executive order banning any further leasing of state forest land for Marcellus Shale drilling.

The Democratic governor's office said he would sign what was described as a "strategic moratorium" at an event in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Rendell said Monday that he wanted Republicans who control the Pennsylvania Senate to resume negotiations over a prospective tax on the drilling.

He proclaimed the tax proposal dead last week, blaming legislative Republicans for what he described as their failure to offer a reasonable compromise on the rate - one of multiple issues that have stalled progress.

The governor, who is leaving office in January, said at a news conference that he would work "night and day" to reach a compromise if Senate Republicans were willing to hold a lame-duck session after the Nov. 2 election.

"If they are willing to come back after the election . . . then we'll find a room somewhere and we will sit together until there is a tax, until there is a reasonable tax," he said.