State Rep.

Dick Stevenson, R-8th, on Wednesday joined an effort in the state House to close a business tax loophole and make fairer the structure of other industry taxes.Stevenson said the measure would make the state more business friendly and promote job growth.The legislation, which Stevenson is co-sponsoring, would eliminate the Delaware Loophole, a situation in which some large industries establish a subsidiary in Delaware and avoid or pay reduced Pennsylvania taxes.One of those, the corporate net income tax, is one of the highest flat taxes in the nation at 9.99 percent and is cited as a key reason why some companies avoid Pennsylvania, Stevenson said.In addition to closing the loophole, Stevenson said the measure would reform the state’s business tax structure by:• Implementing a single-sales factor. This would effectively eliminate the state’s “jobs tax” so that a company’s CNI Tax liability would be calculated solely based on sales.Under the current system, the CNI Tax is assessed based on a formula that encompasses a company’s sales, property and payroll.• Reducing the CNI Tax. This would be reduced from the current rate of 9.99 percent to 6.99 over six years, a drop of 0.5 percent annually.• Phasing out the Net Operating Loss cap. This would phase out, over nine years, the NOL carry forward that would help promote business investment and growth. Pennsylvania is one of only two states that limits this.———U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, last week announced that he would oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act.Altmire made the announcement at the Fountainhead Café in Monaca, Beaver County.He noted that he recently spoke with industry experts on both sides of the debate and accepted the invitation to discuss the issue from the cafe’s owner on Twitter.“I am convinced that we need to find a more balanced way to protect intellectual property and combat online piracy and copyright infringement,” Altmire said. “The current bill has the ability to stifle innovation and shut off access to legitimate, popular websites.“I am open to working with industry experts on both sides of the issue to craft language that serves the dual purpose of preserving access to the Internet while preventing illegal piracy of copyrighted content.”———A bill by state Sen.

Bob Robbins, R-50th, to help students of military families cope with the frequent and stressful relocations associated with active duty service is headed to the governor for enactment into law.The House on Tuesday approved Senate legislation, Robbins’ Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The Senate approved the same measure last year.The bill authorizes Pennsylvania to enter into the Interstate Compact as a way to make education more accessible to children of military families and make school transfers and transitions more uniform and less stressful.Thirty five states already have passed similar legislation.———Legislation sponsored by state Rep.

Dick Stevenson, R-8th, that aims to protect consumers seeking appraisals by requiring appraisal management companies to register with the state is headed to the governor’s desk.The measure, which was approved by the House on Monday, requires appraisal management companies to be registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State and its Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers.Oftentimes, banks hire AMCs to hire a certified real estate appraiser to facilitate the process. Both banks and appraisers are regulated, but not the intermediary AMCs.The legislation, which is supported by both appraisal and banking industries, sets forth terms for the board to regulate and oversee these third-party firms.———U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, supports using toll credits for Appalachian Development Highway System projects.Altmire this week sent a letter to Rep.

John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, requesting that any transportation reauthorization legislation the committee drafts would permit the use of toll credits for Appalachian Highway System projects.The authority to use toll credits for the non-federal match for these projects was prohibited in 2005.Congress in the mid-1960s created the system to develop 3,000 miles of highways in 13 states in the mountainous region.Altmire, co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission Caucus, in the letter predicted “positive impact” on Pennsylvania and the other 12 Appalachian Regional Commission member states by reverting to pre-2005 policy.“Specifically,” he wrote in the letter, “it will allow for the continued construction of Route 219, a major highway located at the western end of the state that serves as a critical link along the Eastern corridor.”