Mike Turzai

Political career

Turzai was House majority leader when it passed a tort reform bill that that abolished joint and several liability.

In 2012 he came under fire for saying that Pennsylvania’s Voter ID Law would cause voter suppression and help win the state for Mitt Romney in a speech to the Republican State Committee.

In August 2014, he met with William Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia and brokered a deal that would allow local leaders in Philadelphia City Council to self-govern and enact a cigarette tax to temporarily help the district meet its financial obligations and keep school doors open on time. In September 2016 Turzai advocated increasing tax credits to Pennsylvania businesses that contributed to scholarship funds that help low income people send their children to private schools.

On November 15, 2016, Turzai was chosen by House Republicans to be speaker-designee of the House of Representatives. On January 6, 2017, he was unanimously elected as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for a second term.

Between 2013 and 2017 an editor or editors traced to the Pennsylvania House Republican caucus in Harrisburg, repeatedly edited Wikipedia articles on Turzai and other Pennsylvania Republicans.

Natural gas severance tax

Turzai has been opposed to a severance tax and impact fee on natural gas. During his campaign for governor, Tom Wolf pledged to tax Marcellus Shale. Turzai opposed Wolf’s plan.

In July 2017, the Pennsylvania State Senate leadership proposed a tax that would vary based on market prices. In September 2017, a Pennsylvania House committee voted 15-11 along party lines to amend a bill to "rechristen" the impact fee that has been assessed on shale gas wells since 2012 as a severance tax. Turzai spoke at a news conference sponsored by opponents of the shale tax. He said that he is "steadfastly opposed" to the push for a vote on the bill as well as a vote on the severance tax itself.

Privatization of liquor stores

In Pennsylvania alcohol is sold through a state-run chain of stores called Fine Wine and Good Spirits. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board owns and operates 600 of these stores throughout the state. In April 2017, the Pennsylvania state House passed several bills, sponsored by Turzai, to privatize wholesale wine and spirits sales and expand alcohol retail outlets in Pennsylvania. The Patriot-News called Turzai "the leading voice for privatization in the Legislature."

One of the Republicans bills that passed would allow privately owned liquor stores to exist in Pennsylvania, with the reason being to "fill gaps in the state that are not adequately served" by the state board. In the summer of 2016, the legislature passed a bill, signed into law as Act 39, that made it legal for the first time since Prohibition to purchase wine outside of the government-run stores (certain grocery stores can obtain licenses). Proponents of the alcohol privatization movement supported because they believe that privatization could lead to economic benefits, more options for consumers, and more options in rural areas. Opponents believe that the state, because it is cash-strapped, can't afford the loss in revenue if liquor sales are privatized instead of being run by the state government.

The state buys $1.9 billion in alcohol every year and makes approximately $100 million in profit. There are around 4400 people working at the Pennsylvania state government stores. If and when the stores downsize, those workers would be given other state jobs. The measures that have passed the House have moved to the state Senate for consideration.