PA State Grange Legislative Priorities

The PA State Grange is in a unique position to assist many of our Community Granges around the Commonwealth...

We have 245 Community Granges in Pennsylvania and about 150+ of those own their own Grange halls/properties. These Granges are spread over 58 of our 67 counties. Herein lies the problem - The Grange in PA is listed with the IRS as a 501(C)8, Non-profit (but NOT tax-exempt) organization. Thus, Granges must pay property taxes in PA on their real property, unless otherwise exempted. But each of the 67 counties have their own tax boards/commissioners, who have authority over property taxes. Therefore, in the past, individual Granges had to petition their county tax board/commissioners for property tax exemption as a non-profit/community service organization. To date, only 18 counties of the 67 have granted property tax exemption to Granges.

With property taxes increasing, more and more Granges are feeling the burden of excessive property taxes on top of their hall/property maintenance, insurance, utility bills, etc. In an effort to assist Granges throughout Pennsylvania, I have declared the number 1 legislative priority of the PA State Grange to be passage of legislation exempting all Grange properties of all property taxes throughout the Commonwealth.This is a result of a resolution approved by the delegates at our 2012 PA State Grange Session in Butler, PA.

In conjunction with our lobbying firm, Versant Strategies, we are working with Senators Vogel and Schwank to propose a bill to amend Section 5 of the Institutions of Purely Public Charities Act, which would gain property tax exemption for Granges. The Senators are in the process of signing co-sponsors for this bill and, to date, have signed on about 17 co-sponsors. With 50 Senators in in PA, we need at least 26 co-sponsors to guarantee a majority (we would like at least 30).

I need every Grange member in PA to call/email/mail your State Senator's office and urge them to co-sponsor Senator Vogel and Schwank's bill to amend Section 5 of the Institutions of Purely Public Charities Act to gain this much needed property tax exemption statewide.

Versant Strategies is already working with members of the House of Representatives to introduce a companion bill in the House. Representative Cutler has agreed to be a sponsor at this time. Once we have a second sponsor, we will then be asking for Grangers to contact their Representatives to sign on as co-sponsors as well.

Here is a list of those Senators who are presently co-sponsors:

Vogel
Schwank
Kasunic
Robbins
Pileggi
Rafferty
Waugh
Yaw
Ward
Hutchinson
Argall
Yudichak
Baker (Lisa)
Solobay
Vance
Browne
Corman

This ligislation can help save Granges throughout Pennsylvania. Please help your brothers and sisters in this endeavor.

Carl