PA Lawmaker Wants Turnpike to Allow Pipelines, Charge Ongoing Fee

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A RINO member of the Pennsylvania House (from the Philadelphia area) has introduced a new bill that he believes is totally brilliant. Rep. Scott Petri, R-Richboro, introduced a bill to give the PA turnpike commission authority to allow use of its right of way for natural gas pipelines--and charge a fee for it (of course). Rep. Petri, you may recall, LOVES severance taxes (see PA Republicans Commit Adultery with Severance Tax – Again). But a severance tax would generate small potatoes compared with a "fee" assessed on gas flowing through pipelines. Instead of calling his proposal to allow pipelines along turnpike corridors a tax, Petri calls it a fee. Same thing. He's proposing that the turnpike commission (i.e. the State of Pennsylvania) should all natgas pipelines and receive an ongoing fee for the amount of gas flowing through the pipeline. When NOBODY rushes to sign up for such a plan (should it ever pass), the next step would be to force pipeline companies to use said corridors--banning pipelines from being built on private property. That's our prediction...

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