Gov. Tom Wolf on May 15 continued to campaign for his ambitious “Restore Pennsylvania” infrastructure policy, appearing with statewide and local government leaders to call on the General Assembly to throw its support behind the plan, citing the need for resources to expand broadband access, combat blight, prevent flooding and expand green infrastructure.

According to a statement from the Wolf administration, the five infrastructure areas targeted by the plan are unfunded or underfunded by current budgeting mechanisms and include high-speed internet access; storm preparedness and disaster recovery; downstream manufacturing; business development and energy infrastructure; demolition, revitalization and renewal; and transportation capital projects.

“For the past four months I've been traveling across Pennsylvania speaking directly to the community leaders, business owners, and residents who desperately need Restore Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “Today, I'm proud to stand with many of those individuals to rally in support of the only infrastructure plan that can make our commonwealth a leader in the 21st century. I am calling upon the legislature to do what's right for the people of Pennsylvania by investing in them, and in our shared future, by supporting Restore Pennsylvania.”

Republicans, who control both houses of the legislature, have repeatedly balked at the proposal because it would be financed in part by a severance tax on natural gas.

The Wolf administration said that the severance tax would primarily be paid for by out-of-state-based energy extraction businesses, according to the Independent Fiscal Office.