State Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), who is also seeking the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor, issued the following statement Monday in response to the approval in the House of Representatives of the health care overhaul bill:

"Last night the world watched the U.S. House of Representatives act with stunning disregard for the constitutional rights of every American, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What passed under the rally call of civil rights and human dignity was in fact one of the strongest challenges to individual freedom in a generation.

In winning passage for the healthcare overhaul using every unsavory procedural tool, threat and backroom promise, they broke faith with their own pledge of openness and transparency. But far worse than hollow campaign promises is the shame in knowing that public officials who knowingly violate their oath to defend the Constitution, commit an act far more injurious to the public trust than bowing to raw politics.

If and when President Obama signs this unconstitutional healthcare bill into law, the roadmap for Pennsylvania’s legal challenge is clear. From the disintegration of the separation of powers between the state and federal government to the misapplication of the Commerce Clause to the lack of congressional authority to apply a direct tax on citizens, the Congress has given us an obvious framework to oppose this bad law.

As Pennsylvania's governor, I will use the powers of the office to defend the rights of every citizen to make private decisions, like the purchase of health insurance, for themselves. I will vigorously defend the responsibilities of our elected state legislative bodies, under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, to make decisions about any restructuring of laws that regulate the conduct of health insurance companies and providers. This is simply not the role or right of the federal government.

In my administration, I will never hesitate to defend the constitutional rights of every citizen. This will be my first and highest priority."

For more about Rohrer's campaign for governor, visit http://www.samrohrer.org/

State Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), who voted Wednesday against a measure approved by the House to legalize table games such as poker and blackjack at Pennsylvania casinos, issued the following statement explaining his opposition to the Democratic-led expansion of gambling:

"Five years ago, Governor Rendell sold the people of Pennsylvania a bill of goods when he signed the slots legislation into law," Rohrer said. "At the time, Rendell and the gambling lobby falsely promised the bill would create thousands of jobs, spur an economic boom and provide property tax relief. Today, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is higher, its economy is faltering and homeowners are still burdened with excessive property taxes. With this record of failure, the legalization of table games amounts to doubling down on a bad bet."

Gov. Ed Rendell threatened to lay off nearly 1,000 state workers if the table games bill was not approved by the General Assembly by the end of the week. Rendell falsely claimed the bill was necessary to fill a supposed $250 million hole in the state budget.

"If you could fill a $250 million hole by laying off 1,000 state workers, that would mean that each of them would have to be earning approximately $250,000," Rohrer noted. "Does the governor really have that many excessively paid staff working under him? I would note that of the 1,000 state workers the governor threatened to lay off, he only threatened one in the governor's office. By comparison, he threatened to lay off 112 people who work with the Pennsylvania State Police, 38 who serve our military veterans and 19 who work in the Department of Health."

Rohrer further argued that the $250 million in revenue the legalization of table games is expected to generate are just an estimate.

"We still have some casinos that aren't up and running five years after that bill was signed into law," Rohrer said. "Somehow, the governor blindly thinks these table games are going to be set up and raking in the money in the next five months before the fiscal year ends in June. That naive belief represents a detachment from reality."

Rohrer pointed out the faulty logic used by gambling proponents, who suggest the legalization of table games would generate new jobs.

"If a Pennsylvanian spends $20 at a blackjack table, he or she can't spend that money at the local diner," Rohrer said. "Sure, it might create a job in one area of the economy, but it will do so at the expense of a worker in another area. The blackjack dealer benefits at the expense of the waitress. Taking water from one end of a bathtub and dropping it in the other won't raise the overall water level. This law will merely benefit the well-connected gambling industry at the expense of other Pennsylvania workers."

Rohrer also chastised those who propagated the false belief that legalizing table game would somehow help homeowners struggling to pay their property taxes.

"Like slot machines before them, table games offer homeowners nothing but the false hope that their property tax burden will be reduced," Rohrer said. "The truth is, the governor is betting on table games to bring in more revenues to subsidize his spending habit. Make no mistake, legalized gambling has done little for homeowners, but it has been and will continue to be a boon for free-spending politicians in Harrisburg. Pennsylvanians are tired of these 'bait-and-switch' schemes where politicians promise them property tax relief but deliver something far different. The only way to truly deal with the property tax issue is by eliminating them. No tax should have the power to leave you homeless."

The bill now heads to the governor's desk for his signature.

"Whether you oppose legalized gambling based on economic or moral principles or because it fails to deliver on its overblown promises, today represents a step backward for Pennsylvania," Rohrer said. "The Commonwealth will take a further leap backward if and when the governor places his signature on this sham of a bill. Pennsylvanians deserve better than this."

State Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, a candidate for Pennsylvania governor, has sent a scathing message to supporters blasting the current governor and the Democratic leadership in the House for linking state funding to colleges with passage of expanded gambling.

Here is Rohrer's comments:

Lobbyists for Organized Gambling are at it again! This time, their ally-in-chief, Governor Ed Rendell and a majority in the state House of Representatives are holding up hundreds of millions of dollars in higher education funding to Pitt, Penn State, Lincoln and Temple in an unprecedented push to legalize high-stakes, casino table games.

This bill is truly insidious.

In addition to giving casino operators a discounted 14% tax rate (as opposed to a 55% rate for slots), they will now be able to issue lines of credit to prospective gamblers. That’s right, predatory, credit card gambling.

Friends, you know the truth about this destructive lie. When Pennsylvania approved a state lottery, it was billed as the savior for senior programs. When they approved off-track betting, small games of chance and later 67,000 slot machines were proposed and approved, they came with a promise - easy cash to fund worthy programs.

To date friends, Pennsylvania's political leaders have embraced gambling, but failed to deliver the promised windfall profit. Sounds like a Ponzi scheme to me doesn't it?

This afternoon, we're headed back to the House floor to debate this bad bill. The deck is stacked, the special interests are getting ready to celebrate, but there is still hope!

Will you please contact your state representative this afternoon? Visit the Pennsylvania Family Institute to see who needs to hear from you, and the best way to get connected.

This battle is worth the 5-minute investment of your time and energy. Will you help take on Organized Gambling?

Pennsylvania State Rep. Sam Rohrer, who is also a candidate for governor, will the guest speaker at the Winter Commencement at Albright College in Reading.

The school announced that 124 students from both Albright's traditional undergraduate program and Accelerated Degree Completion Program will receive diplomas at Albright College's Winter Commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 19. Diplomas will be presented by President Lex O. McMillan III. The ceremony will be held in Memorial Chapel at 2 p.m.

Rohrer, who represents Berks County's 128th House District, will be the main commencement speaker, the school announced this week.

First elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1992, Rohrer is the ranking chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. He also serves on the House Finance Committee and previously served as the ranking chairman of the Game and Fisheries Committee and has spent 12 years on the House Appropriations Committee.

Best known as the architect and prime sponsor of the School Property Tax Elimination Act, Rohrer has earned statewide recognition as the champion for property tax reform.

He hopes to parlay that work in his bid for Pennsylvania governor in 2010.

No surprise here. A coalition of nearly three dozen taxpayer groups has endorsed state Rep. Sam Rohrer, R-Berks, for governor of Pennsylvania.

Rohrer, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2010, has been the leading proponent of eliminating property taxes in Pennsylvania.

A member of the Legislature since 1993, Rohrer is the primary sponsor of House Bill 1275, the School Property Tax Elimination Act.

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations sees Rohrer's election as the best chance of killing the state's onerous school property tax.

From a press released issued by PCTA:

Rep. Rohrer has, through many legislative sessions, introduced the School Property Tax Elimination Act, legislation that would abolish school property taxes for all Pennsylvania homeowners and restructure a crumbling, antiquated education finance system. During the announcement of his candidacy on Nov. 17, Rep. Rohrer emphasized that school property tax elimination will be one of the five main planks of his campaign platform and a priority of his administration.

Rebecca Heller of The Patriot's Voice, one of the PCTA member groups, said, "Sam Rohrer is not just a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, he is a true statesman and patriot. Rep. Rohrer selflessly devoted many years of his life to work for the citizens in his district. I do not live in his district, but because of his initiatives, I have always felt he was "my" representative. His goals have always reached much further than district lines. We will work for Sam Rohrer as hard as he has always worked for us."

Joel Sears of the York County Taxpayers Council, a PCTA member group, added: "The first time I met Sam, I knew there was something special about him. He is a true servant of the public whose principles align him with the vast majority of Pennsylvanians, not just his constituents. His approach is tireless, independent of any special interest groups, and always focused on the 'rightness' of the outcome. I am proud and privileged to know Sam."

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayer Associations is an alliance of 35 grassroots taxpayer advocacy groups from across Pennsylvania that is dedicated to equitable education funding reform through the enactment of the School Property Tax Elimination Act. For more about PCTA's efforts, visit the group's Web site.

For more information on Rohrer's bid for for governor, visit his campaign Web site, www.samrohrer.org

State Rep. Sam Rohrer is expected to announce his candidacy for Pennsylvania governor at a Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Spring Township Fire Company in West Lawn, Berks County.

Rohrer sent the following e-mail today to potential supporters:

Over the past few weeks Ruth Ann and I, and our entire family have been weighing the decision to seek the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania Governor. We've approached it understanding the risk, but knowing fully the incredible need for leadership in our state and nation.

There have been few other moments in my lifetime when the collective call of duty has been greater, and the responsibility to act so urgent. More than winning elections for political parties or discovering a way for Republicans to reach a legislative majority, the 2010 campaign must be waged to give voice for the ideas and principles that matter most.

I want to personally invite you to a special Townhall on Tuesday, November 17 at the Spring Township Fire Department, 2301 Monroe Avenue in West Lawn, PA. I'm organizing this forum to announce the decision on the race for governor, and begin a statewide conversation about the challenges and real opportunities facing Pennsylvania.

We can change the direction of our state, but it will take all of us – "We the People!"

Rohrer, who has represented the 128th House District in southern Berks County since 1993, is best known for leading the fight to eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania. He has also taken the lead in the state's rights movement.

If Rohrer decides to enter the 2010 Republican Primary, he will face a crowded field that already includes Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and Congressman Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist.

Rohrer announced the Town Hall Meeting at http://samrohrer.org/, which will probably turn into his campaign Web site after Nov. 17.

Until then, you can find out more about Rohrer at http://www.samrohrer.com/

For the past six years, Gov. Ed Rendell has opposed efforts by state Rep. Sam Rohrer's efforts to expand the state sales tax in order to eliminate school property taxes.

Now that Gov. Rendell is floating the idea of expanding the state sales tax to help cover his $3.2 billion budget deficit, Rohrer is among the first state lawmakers to publicly condemn the idea.

From a press released issued today by Rohrer, a Republican who represents the 128th District in Berks County:

"The governor seems unable to understand that, on taxes, no means no," Rohrer said. "There is only one acceptable solution to the ongoing budget stalemate. The state must reduce spending to match its income. State government should not be adding to the burden of working families by raising taxes during this economic recession. That would be cold-hearted and wrong. Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve a compassionate government that does not kick them while they're down."

Rohrer is the Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee and the sponsor of the School Property Tax Elimination Act (SPTEA), a plan to free Pennsylvania homeowners from the burdensome property tax. Rohrer's plan would use an expanded sales tax, among other revenue sources, to fund education in the Commonwealth.

Rohrer warned residents not to be confused by the governor's proposal. While Rohrer's is about eliminating property taxes, the governor's is about expanding the state budget.

"My plan offers the hope of a property tax-free Pennsylvania," Rohrer said. "The governor's proposal is just another attempt to dig deeper into the pockets of taxpayers. He just wants more money to spend on more government."

Rendell is proposing the sales tax expansion after his earlier proposal to increase the state income tax was shot down by the General Assembly.

"The governor just doesn't get it," Rohrer said. "Whether it's an income tax, a sales tax or any other tax hike proposal he cares to offer, people just can't afford it right now. Instead of always expecting taxpayers to sacrifice and do more with less, the governor might actually have to sacrifice for a change."

Rohrer also noted it would be interesting to see which House Democrats would rise to support the governor's call for an expansion in the state sales tax to pay for additional state government spending.

"In the past, some House Democrats have adamantly opposed my plan to use a sales tax expansion to eliminate school property taxes," Rohrer said. "Will those same lawmakers now rise to support the governor's proposal to expand the tax to pay for more government? If that's the case, they would essentially be saying that they'd support a sales tax expansion to help the governor, but not to help homeowners. That's one heck of a message to send to property taxpayers in your district."

Rohrer said he will encourage his colleagues in the General Assembly who have supported the SPTEA to oppose the governor's sales tax expansion.

"The sales tax was instituted in 1953 for education only. It should remain for education only," Rohrer said. "It should not be used as a back door into the pockets of taxpayers to pay for more government spending."

State Rep. Sam Rohrer, Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee, has released the first in a series of videos where he will lay out the facts underlying the ongoing budget stalemate between Gov. Ed Rendell and the General Assembly.