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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Despite only four state legislators in attendance, Saturday morning&#8217;s Legislative Breakfast, sponsored by the Luzerne County League of Women Voters, offered a spirited and often candid look at critical issues facing the region and state.</p><p>With about 50 in attendance and moderated by Susan Ferentino, the lawmakers&#8212; Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca &#8212; tackled several questions, from enactment of a severance tax on the natural gas industry, to education, to the stormwater fee, to redistricting to the legalization/decriminalization of marijuana.</p><p>Five other invited legislators did not attend: Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township; and Reps. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake; Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township; Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Township; and Sen. John Blake, D-Archbald.</p><p>The first topic discussed was Gov. Tom Wolf&#8217;s proposal to enact a severance tax on the gas industry to fund his Restore Pennsylvania plan to address the state&#8217;s decaying infrastructure. Wolf unveiled the plan at a news conference in late January in Wilkes-Barre, saying the tax would bring in $300 million per year. The governor said he doen&#8217;t know of another funding source to pay for the project.</p><p>&#8220;As the prime sponsor of Restore Pennsylvania in the Senate, I fully support Gov. Wolf&#8217;s efforts to enact a responsible severance tax on natural gas to fund local infrastructure projects in every county in Pennsylvania,&#8221; Yudichak said. &#8220;Every community in northeastern Pennsylvania could tackle long-neglected public infrastructure projects, from flood control to roadway improvements &#8230; .&#8221;</p><p>The governor&#8217;s plan has been opposed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that hasn&#8217;t budged on a severance tax on natural gas companies for several years now. And when Wolf announced the plan in Wilkes-Barre in late January, Republican leadership in the Legislature didn&#8217;t seem to support it.</p><p>Add to that the opposition registered by the Marcellus Shale Coalition, whose president David Spigelmyer said Pennsylvania already has a tax on natural gas &#8212; an impact fee &#8212; that generates hundreds of millions annually for critical infrastructure programs.</p><p>But Yudichak explained that the impact fee, which goes to host communities, is based on wells drilled, while the severance tax would be on gas extracted.</p><p>Pashinski estimated that the state has lost a minimum of $2.5 billion to $3 billion over the last 10 years. He said he has asked the gas companies to reveal their profit margins, but they have declined. He said Pennsylvania&#8217;s gas supply is estimated to last another 100 to 200 years.</p><p>Carroll said all legislators have projects in their districts that need to be funded, especially with federal funding being reduced in recent years. He said the severance tax is &#8220;a sincere source&#8221; to fund those projects.</p><p>&#8220;I think that if we asked the gas companies in the beginning what they would expect to pay in taxes, they would never of had the nerve to write down zero,&#8221; Carroll said. &#8220;Which is where we are at.&#8221;</p><p>Kaufer said he has voted for enactment of a severance tax in the past. He cited West Pittston Borough in his district &#8212; which has experienced severe flooding in recent years &#8212; as one example of a town that would benefit from a funding source like the severance tax.</p><p><strong>Stormwater fee, pot </strong></p><p>The four legislators agreed that more funding is needed for education, especially special education. Pashinski noted that the face of education has changed with many new services being offered, such as pre-kindergarten, all-day kindergarten and breakfast in the schools.</p><p>Regarding the stormwater fee, the legislators said it was an &#8220;unfunded mandate,&#8221; resulting in a robust debate on the enforcement of the fee. They agreed that work needs to be done to resolve all the issues connected to the controversial new charge.</p><p>The legislators also discussed the legalization or decriminalization of recreational marijuana. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has been conducting a statewide tour to hear what Pennsylvanians feel about the issue.</p><p>Carroll called the issue a &#8220;tough one,&#8221; but said the next logical step is to decriminalize it. The legislators said they don&#8217;t see legalization happening anytime soon, but the discussion will continue.</p><p>Yudichak did offer one amusing anecdote.</p><p>&#8220;There is only one former rock star of the sixties on the panel today,&#8221; he said, referencing Pashinski, a longtime local musician. &#8220;So I will look to him for guidance. But seriously, this will be a slow process.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">League of Women Voters board member and discussion moderator Susan Ferentino speaks to guests before taking questions for local legislators at the King&#8217;s College Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center in Wilkes-Barre during Saturdays&#8217; Legislative Breakfast. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_LEGISLATORS-2.jpeg</photo0><caption0>League of Women Voters board member and discussion moderator Susan Ferentino speaks to guests before taking questions for local legislators at the King&#8217;s College Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center in Wilkes-Barre during Saturdays&#8217; Legislative Breakfast. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_LEGISLATORS-3.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">State Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, speaks with Denise Williams, coordinator of Luzerne County Fair Districts, before the start of the League of Women Voters Legislative Breakfast at the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center at King&#8217;s on Saturday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_LEGISLATORS-3.jpeg</photo1><caption1>State Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, speaks with Denise Williams, coordinator of Luzerne County Fair Districts, before the start of the League of Women Voters Legislative Breakfast at the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center at King&#8217;s on Saturday morning. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_LEGISLATORS-1.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, answers questions during the Luzerne County League of Women Voters Legislative Breakfast Saturday morning at the King&#8217;s College Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_LEGISLATORS-1.jpeg</photo2><caption2>State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, answers questions during the Luzerne County League of Women Voters Legislative Breakfast Saturday morning at the King&#8217;s College Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center in Wilkes-Barre. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Legislators discuss hot topics at League of Women Voters event