New Push For PA School Property Tax Elimination Expected

HARRISBURG (CBS) -- Add a renewed push for elimination of school property taxes to the list of challenges on an already full plate for Pennsylvania lawmakers in the new legislative session that is just beginning.

In the face of a significant budget gap to close, Republican Dave Reed, the House majority leader, seems dead serious about his desire to overhaul the way Pennsylvania government delivers services.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, there continues to be growing support for overhauling the way services are paid for; specifically, eliminating school property taxes and replacing them with other revenue sources. While reforming taxes and restructuring delivery of services seem to go hand in hand, Reed's spokesman Steve Miskin believes they are more likely to proceed on separate tracks.

"While that could be a part of the restructuring and it very well may end up being that way, no, I don't think the majority of members could look at it that way. They do kind of look at it as a separate box."

And as always, Miskin said the devil will be in the details.