Senator Browne to Again Chair Senate Finance Committee

Panel charged with reviewing tax code legislation

Senator Pat Browne (R-16) was recently reappointed by Lieutenant Governor and President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati to chair the Senate Finance Committee for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session. The Finance Committee has the primary role of reviewing legislation affecting Pennsylvania’s tax codes.

Senator Browne will once again put his tax law and accounting skills to work to help the Commonwealth through these tough economic times while fighting against the idea of raising taxes.

"I appreciate the opportunity to again serve as Chairman of the Finance Committee," Senator Browne said. "It is important that the state of Pennsylvania remains fiscally responsible and looks to cut wasteful spending wherever possible while faced with these tough circumstances. One of my jobs as Finance Committee Chairman is to look at ways we can change tax laws to help encourage businesses to grow, increase its payrolls and encourage other people to start their own businesses. Now is not the time to add more burdens and unfair taxes to businesses.

"I look forward to the opportunity to work with the members of this committee to review legislation to ensure that it is in the best interest of the Commonwealth and the people of Pennsylvania."

Since Senator Browne was appointed Finance Committee Chair for the 2007-2008 Legislative Session, the Finance Committee has reported out 58 total bills and resolutions.

Here is some of the legislation reported out of the Senate Finance Committee in the 2007-2008 session:

• A Tax Stimulus Package that would provide nearly $96 million in tax relief in the upcoming fiscal year for lower-income working Pennsylvanians, small businesses looking to expand, as well as major employers and job creators.
• A Taxpayer Protection Act Constitutional Amendment that provided for an amendment to the Pennsylvania State Constitution that would limit state spending to the average inflation rate plus the average percentage change in state population over the three preceding years and a Taxpayer Protection Act bill that would provide the same limitations, but not as a Constitutional Amendment.
• A Pennsylvania Taxpayer Transparency Act that would direct the Office of Budget to create and maintain a searchable budget database-driven website that the public can access, for free, to obtain: Information on grants and contracts above $25,000 provided by government agencies; Agency performance indicators and quarterly performance results compared to these indicators; and, Agency line-by-line appropriation analysis including user-friendly detailed monetary breakouts and detailed narrative descriptions.
• An Economic Stimulus Bill that would revise the formula for Pennsylvania’s Corporate Net Income Tax (CNIT) to one solely based on sales.
• A 100 Percent Tax Relief Bill, a Constitutional Amendment, that would lift the current cap on the homestead exemption that may be granted by county and local taxing jurisdictions.

Senator Browne has also championed economic growth and job creation through tax reform with legislation he has sponsored including the Pennsylvania Job Creation Act of 2006 -- which included important tax cuts/changes to make Pennsylvania’s climate for job creators more competitive -- and the Small Business Jobs Investment Act -- which made changes to the tax reform code to allow for greater access to private capital by small business corporations and eliminated Pennsylvania’s infamous capital stock tax from single owner Limited Liability Companies and Professional Service Corporations.

Last week, Senator Scarnati appointed Senator Browne to serve as Majority Caucus Administrator for the 2009-10 Legislative Session. The Majority Caucus Administrator is responsible for scheduling activities before the caucus and working with Senate leaders to set the agenda and advance Republican policy.

Senator Browne holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Temple University.  Prior to his legislative service, he was employed with the accounting firms of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse as a tax manager and senior tax associate, respectively. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
 

Contact:

Matt Moyer
(610) 821-8468