ABC27 WHTM Democrats ask gas drillers to support extraction tax

Democrats ask gas drillers to support extraction tax

Democrats pushing for a natural gas extraction tax have made a plea for support to the people who would seem least likely to join their cause: the Marcellus Shale drillers themselves.

House Democratic Caucus leaders sent a letter asking the Marcellus Shale Coalition and its 42 member companies to release Gov. Tom Corbett from his no-tax promise.

In the letter, leaders wrote that the "pressure and influence exerted" by the natural gas industry on Corbett has been "a driving factor in Pennsylvania's inability to enact this legislation this year."

Democrats want drillers to publicly urge Corbett to support House Bill 1800, also known as the ProtectPA bill, that would tax companies based on the amount of gas removed from the Marcellus Shale region.

The legislation calls for revenue from the tax to go directly to local governments, infrastructure repair and environmental programs.

Provisions to protect the state's water quality and infrastructure are included, along with a tax credit for companies that create jobs for Pennsylvanians.