September 3, 2026<\/p>\n
MECHANICSBURG\u2014 Rep. Thomas Kutz (R-Cumberland) and the House Republican Policy Committee, led by Chairman David H. Rowe (R-Snyder\/Union\/Mifflin\/Juniata), convened a hearing Tuesday to examine Kutz\u2019s Growth and Affordability Plan (GAP), a 10-bill package aimed at lowering costs for families and improving Pennsylvania\u2019s economic competitiveness.<\/p>\n
The plan includes proposals to reduce Pennsylvania\u2019s Personal Income Tax, lower utility and homeownership costs, make childcare more affordable, help families save for major expenses and improve the Commonwealth\u2019s tax environment for businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis hearing underscored just how deeply Pennsylvanians care about building a stronger, more affordable future,\u201d said Kutz. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to every colleague, testifier, and community member who engaged with the Growth and Affordability Plan, which I am so proud to sponsor.\u00a0 Their insights and experiences will shape our legislation, easing costs for families, supporting local employers, and ensuring Pennsylvania remains a place where people want to raise families and build businesses. I remain excited about the work ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Testifiers included Neal Lesher, vice president of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry; Shelby Linton-Keddie, senior director of government, regulatory policy and external affairs for PPL Electric Utilities; and Matt Madden, operating principal of Keller Williams of Central PA.<\/p>\n
Lesher discussed Pennsylvania\u2019s progress in reducing its Corporate Net Income Tax while emphasizing the need for additional reforms to help businesses compete and grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor businesses, cash is like water, right? It\u2019s going to go to the least restrictive place,\u201d Lesher said. \u201cAnd Pennsylvania, while we\u2019re making improvements, definitely has room for improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linton-Keddie testified that eliminating Pennsylvania\u2019s Gross Receipts Tax on electricity, as proposed in the GAP package, would provide direct savings to ratepayers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the average PPL electric residential customer, the savings would be about $12 a month or roughly $150 a year,\u201d Linton-Keddie said. \u201cAt a time when many families and businesses are carefully managing household budgets and business budgets to meet their basic expenses, this type of direct, transparent, and permanent tax relief should not be dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stressed that tax relief must be accompanied by policies that increase Pennsylvania\u2019s electricity supply and protect reliability.
\n\u201cPennsylvania cannot afford to take potential solutions off the table while affordability and reliability concerns continue to grow,\u201d<\/p>\n
Linton-Keddie said. \u201cWe believe that our customers deserve affordable, reliable electricity, and that will require a willingness by every one of us to examine every component of the bill and every policy contributing to rising costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Madden described a housing shortage that is limiting options for first-time buyers, renters, growing families and seniors. He urged policymakers to modernize the approval process and encourage the construction of a wider range of housing options.<\/p>\n
\u201cHousing supply is a chain, and when one part of the chain stops moving, the effects travel all the way down the market,\u201d Madden said. \u201cAgain, housing affordability is a workforce infrastructure just as much as roads, utilities, and broadband are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAffordability is not just about simply what things cost. It\u2019s about how much Pennsylvanians get to keep of their own hard-earned money,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cEvery tax the government imposes leaves less for a family\u2019s priorities or business\u2019s next investment. The Growth and Affordability Plan puts that question squarely before us: Where can Harrisburg take less so Pennsylvanians can do more?\u201d
\nThe full hearing can be found at youtube.com\/@pahousegop<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Rowe090126_PolicyCommitteeHearing_MakingPAMoreAffordable_549326.jpg\")
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