Small Businesses Blast Shapiro Administration’s Appeal of the Commonwealth Court’s RGGI Decision

November 21, 2023

Small Businesses Blast Shapiro Administration’s Appeal of the Commonwealth Court’s RGGI Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HARRISBURG, PA (November 21, 2023) – Pennsylvania’s leading small business advocacy association, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), today blasted Governor Josh Shapiro for his administration’s appeal of the Commonwealth Court’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) decision made earlier this month. The RGGI scheme is a multi-state carbon cap-and-trade initiative. This move late today comes after then gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Josh Shapiro had broadly distanced himself from Governor Wolf’s original proposal, stating the decision should come from the legislature. It sets the stage for a battle at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which leans heavily Democratic after the recent election of Dan McCaffery. “The small business community is shocked that Governor Shapiro would appeal the Commonwealth Court’s recent decision that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is, in fact, a tax,” said Greg Moreland, state director for NFIB in PA. “Shapiro is continuing down the same failed path of his predecessor and turning his back on our manufacturing sector, our energy intensive industries, and thousands of small businesses in the Commonwealth. This political scheme will overshadow future investment in the Commonwealth, as the $800 million TAX would be paid by residential and commercial customers, deterring businesses from staying or locating here.” Moreland concluded, “We were hopeful the governor would stick to his campaign rhetoric and allow the legislature to deal with this major tax issue, but he has now inserted himself squarely on the side opposing the working class.”

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For 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses, and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

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Pennsylvania

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