GOP Lawmaker Says State Income Tax Increase Is Inevitable
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Republican state lawmaker from suburban Philadelphia says an income tax increase is inevitable to fix the state's deficit-riddled finances, even if it doesn't happen this year.
Rep. Gene DiGirolamo said Thursday that he's proposing an 8 percent income tax increase to take the rate to 3.32 percent as part of a wider revenue package.
Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled House of Representatives will return to session next week amid a two-month stalemate over plugging a $2.2 billion budget hole.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf says he'll be out of options to pay bills on time in a week.
Wolf supports a utility tax-and-borrowing plan that passed the Senate in July, but it is unpopular with House members. Some House Republicans support diverting cash from various off-budget programs, including for public transportation, farmland preservation and environmental improvements.
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