Four years into his 8-year term, Gov. Tom Wolf plans to continue the policy goals originally set at the start of his governorship, including protecting and supporting Pennsylvania’s public schools, gun reform, economic growth, and lowering the state’s corporate net income tax, which the Tax Foundation rated as the second-highest in the country in 2018.
NFIB has largely opposed Wolf’s agenda. NFIB Pennsylvania State Director Gordon Denlinger penned an open letter to Wolf in November asked Wolf to work with small business owners to make them thrive. “Improving the small business climate in Pennsylvania is a goal we may share since it will lead to an increased tax base, a more robust state economy, and job creation,” Denlinger wrote. “While acknowledging that differences of viewpoint will exist, we believe that beyond such differences lay many areas of potential policy cooperation which could be pursued for the benefit of all.”
“I will continue to do what I can to protect public education… I will continue to do what I can to make sure Pennsylvanians have access to good and affordable health care,” said Gov. Wolf during a recent interview. “I’ll do what I can to make sure that Pennsylvania is toward the top of the charts, not the bottom of the charts, when it comes to economic performance.”
According to Penn Live, additional issues that members of both parties expect the governor wants to keep working through the next four years include improving the business climate, shale tax, gun control, anti-discriminatory laws, and minimum wage—a top concern for small business owners since Gov. Wolf’s administration proposed a $12 an hour minimum wage, which did not pass.