Democratic PA governor candidate Josh Shapiro touts economic plan at Lackawanna campaign stop

Democrat Josh Shapiro on Monday announced an “aggressive strategy to jump-start Pennsylvania’s economy," including a corporate tax cut and heavily investing in job-training programs.

During a morning campaign stop in Lackawanna county, the state’s current Attorney General who is running for governor shared an outline of his plan aimed at spurring manufacturing and energy following a tour at McGregor Industries, a 100-year-old steel fabrication company.

“As governor, I’ll lead the way to reignite our economy, ensuring businesses come to Pennsylvania and stay here, and making our Commonwealth a national leader for innovation, manufacturing, and job creation,” Shapiro said.

The plan outlined Monday includes creating “innovation hubs” to connect businesses and industry researchers to bolster manufacturing jobs in the state and cutting the corporate tax rate to 4% by 2025, going from the second-highest rate nationally to the second lowest.

Pennsylvania’s current corporate tax rate, the rate at which company’s pay on profits, is currently 9.99%. As part of this year’s budget negotiations, a bill was passed earlier this month that would incrementally lower the rate year to 4.99% by 2031.

Pennsylvania's current rate is the second-highest in the nation behind neighboring New Jersey, according to the Tax Foundation.

Shapiro also plans to create a new department, the Office of Economic Growth and Workforce Development, as a “one-stop-shop to help businesses cut through red tape, secure permits and licenses, and create jobs here in Pennsylvania.”

The Montgomery County native said he would support efforts to grow the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania to “harness the Commonwealth’s role as a national energy leader,” but emphasized the need for environmental and health regulations.

“I reject the false choice that we have to choose between the dignity of work and environmental justice.  I will be an all-of-the-above energy Governor who protects the jobs we already have and invests in the green industries and technologies of the future,” Shapiro said Monday.

Shapiro has been a harsh critic of natural gas in the past as well as the state’s ability to properly oversee the industry.

A 2020 report from the Attorney General’s office, the result of a two-year investigation, cited interviews with residents living near natural gas drilling sites who said they experienced health problems and air and water pollution related to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

The report noted that local District Attorneys lacked the resources to prosecute alleged environmental crimes and that his office was unable to pursue legal action without the expressed request of the Department of Environmental Protection.

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Republicans in the General Assembly have also been pressing for an end to a fracking moratorium on state lands as a means toward energy independence.

Shapiro added that his plan would call for legislation aimed at generating 30% of Pennsylvania’s energy from renewable sources by 2030 and set a net-zero emissions goal by 2050.

The plan also calls for triple funding for apprenticeship programs, eliminate four-year degree requirements for thousands of state government jobs and “drastically increase” funding for vo-tech and job skills training starting at the high school level.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-33, of Franklin County, Shapiro’s opponent in the Nov. 8 election, has said previously if elected he would “open up our energy sector like you've never seen it before."

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A set of goals for his first 100 days in office released in April puts much of his economic policy around expanding natural gas and coal by “encouraging investment” and cutting taxes and fees relating to drilling and mining.

The lawmaker from Greene Township also promised to cut the corporate tax rate, though his campaign website doesn’t list a specific rate or deadline.

The 100-day plan also calls for establishing a “strike force” team to cut up to 55,000 statewide regulations in its first year and promises to “eliminate two regulations for any new regulation created.”

Mastriano issued a statement in February from his Senate website calling for the elimination of property taxes in the state to ease financial burdens for Pennsylvanians.

A request for comment to Mastriano’s campaign in response to Shapiro’s plan was not returned at press time.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA governor candidate Josh Shapiro touts economic plan in Lackawanna