Senate Talks School Tax Elimination but Failed to Act, Maloney Says

July 16, 2025

HARRISBURG – Today, Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) questioned why the Senate is all of sudden talking about “eliminating” school property taxes when they have failed to act for seven years.

“In November of 2017, Pennsylvania voters adopted a constitutional amendment I authored that allows for the exclusion of 100% of homestead/farmstead property tax assessment,” Maloney said. “In all that time, and even now, all the Pennsylvania Senate needs to do is pass enacting legislation, a simple bill.”

It took many years for Maloney to usher his constitutional amendment into law, but now the Senate wants taxpayers who are losing their homes to wait at least four more years, and that is if the taxpayers are very lucky.

But the General Assembly has not yet passed legislation to capitalize on my amendment of 2017 by permitting and funding up to full elimination of property taxes for homesteads/farmsteads.

Since the 2017-18 fiscal year, Pennsylvania’s budget has risen from approximately $32 billion to more than $47 billion. This $15 billion increase would certainly have been more than enough state funding to completely replace the property taxes currently paid by Pennsylvania homeowners and fully remove that substantial burden from their shoulders.

“In 2011-12 the Pennsylvania budget was $27.15 billion and those of us truly fighting school property taxes were told then that $7 billion to eliminate property taxes was a pipe dream,” Maloney said. “The budget House Democrats passed on Monday would spend $50.6 billion, and in all the time between 2013 and now, we are still told there is not enough money for school property tax elimination.

“Now, the Senate decides to propose a constitutional amendment when a Democrat-controlled House will certainly guarantee its defeat. Is this an act of true courage for the taxpayers or another cynical ploy?

Will the governor use the billions of AI data center money he is anticipating to eliminate or drastically cut school property taxes as, Loudon County, Virginia, the data center of the U.S. has done? Or will he give it to the unions?”

Representative David Maloney
130th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6161
clardner@pahousegop.com
RepMaloney.com