Simmons Meets with Lower Saucon Constituents

Freshman State Rep. Justin Simmons (R-131) got down to brass tacks with some of his Lower Saucon Township constituents March 10, reminding them that he's a "limited government conservative," while also diverging with Gov. Tom Corbett--a fellow Republican whose austere proposed state budget is still generating shockwaves--on several points.

Simmons spoke to about 20 local residents in Seidersville Hall at the pre-scheduled town hall meeting, and was quick to thank those in attendance for coming out on what was a very dark, stormy night.

"There's a lot going on in Harrisburg right now," he began, before explaining his views on the budget presented by Corbett March 8.

State funding for both public and higher education, he admitted, is on the chopping block.

Part of the reason for that, Simmons said, is that Corbett inherited an unsustainable funding mandate from outgoing Democratic governor Ed Rendell.

Corbett's two-term predecessor used federal stimulus money to boost education funding during his last two years in office, he said, which is why Corbett's proposed budget takes education funding "back to '08-'09 levels."

"Basically, we're trying to be more fiscally responsible," Simmons said.

The $27.2 billion budget proposed by Corbett reduces funding for basic education by about half a billion dollars. 

"Many of us in the legislature were surprised by that," Simmons said, adding that he and his colleagues had no foreknowledge of the proposed cuts prior to Corbett's budget presentation March 8.

Dramatic cuts to higher education funding for universities such as Kutztown and Penn State, he added, may not survive to become part of the final budget package, which he predicted could be passed as early as May.

"The cut that's been proposed may be a little high," he said, adding that "unfortunately (the budget process) is a chess game."

Simmons was sworn into office in January and said the months since his inauguration have been one of the Pennsylvania state legislature's most productive periods in recent history.

Among the specific legislative accomplishments he cited was the House's passage of a bill to create an online public database of state expenditures, called PennWATCH. 

"We strengthened Megan's Law," he continued, explaining that a loophole that prevented homeless individuals from being placed on the sex offender registry has been closed.

Whistleblower protection for non-profit organizations and public employees was also recently approved by the House, Simmons said, as was a bill that will delegate enforcement of the state's gaming laws to the Attorney General's office.

Finally, he said, repealing the sprinkler mandate for new construction houses in the commonwealth was one of the highlights of his busy first months in office.

The mandate "is one of those things that I think is an intrusion of government into our lives," Simmons said.

The mandate remains in place until the State Senate repeals it and Corbett approves the repeal--actions which are widely anticipated.

Simmons added that he supports a bill to legalize the s0-called Castle Doctrine in Pennsylvania, which he said will increase the ability of individuals to defend themselves from attack in their homes.

"I'm a strong defender of the Second Amendment and a member of the NRA," Simmons said.

When questioned by Lower Saucon Township resident Eileen Mitchell about his position on taxing the companies extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, Simmons said that he differs with Corbett, who has opposed imposing a severance tax on the fledgling industry.

"I would personally be in favor of a fair severance tax," Simmons said. "The point, I think, of a severance tax should be to give us more revenue."

Simmons said he believes a severance tax will be approved by the state "eventually," and estimated that it may take five years before that happens.

He added that, in his opinion, the media have overblown the threat to state forests from natural gas drilling, and he said footage of faucets being lit on fire, such as in the documentary film "Gasland," is misleading.

"This has been studied for years," he said. "A lot of the negative press that's been out there--it's propaganda."

"But if you're wrong, it's too late," Mitchell said to Simmons.

Simmons declared that he has not accepted any money from gas companies, and said his motivation for supporting natural gas drilling in the Keystone State is dictated by economics.

"I don't want to implement laws...that are going to cause our energy prices to go up even more," he said. "At the end of the day, if we don't have jobs, we don't have revenue. Why I ran was to help get people employed again."

He added that he would be interested in hosting a "town hall forum" to discuss the Marcellus Shale and natural gas drilling in greater depth.