On this Memorial Day weekend, the Pennsylvania Taverns and Players Association (PA TAP), which represents hundreds of small businesses and veteran organizations across the commonwealth, is remembering and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Veterans’ organizations, like VFW and American Legion posts, are important community spaces that offer critical services for friends, family, and comrades of our fallen soldiers. We need to do everything we can to protect these institutions. Our veterans deserve nothing less.
Unfortunately, recent legislation could jeopardize that. For years, skill games have provided critical income to VFWs and American Legions, which use the revenue to offer additional services, make location updates, pay staff, donate to charity, and offer support to our veteran community members. Yet, Senate Bill 756, sponsored by Lebanon County Sen. Chris Gebhard, places a 40% tax on skill games — the highest tax ever on veterans’ organizations in the state. This could lead to many making cuts to services, or worse, closing for good.
Don’t take it from us – take it from our veteran members:
“We are an organization all about veterans,” said Annville VFW Post manager Nicole Lebo Leibensperger. “This is a place where they can come together and help one another. At the same time, we do what we can to better our community. Without skill game revenues, we would need to make hard financial decisions.”
And here is what Rebecca Rose, Club Steward of the GAP VFW Post 7418 in Lancaster County, has to say: “We are a non-profit organization. The skill machine money helps us operate on a daily basis with our day-to-day expenses. We also donate a lot of money to local organizations and fund multiple veterans’ organizations. If Senate Bill 756 passes, I feel as though we would struggle to pay our monthly bills, and we wouldn’t be able to help the community like we do currently.”
Leibensperger added that if lawmakers want to support veterans, they will vote against the highest tax proposed on veteran organizations in Pennsylvania history.
“We strongly urge all lawmakers to vote against SB 756,” she said. “Otherwise, there could be fewer veteran posts come next Memorial Day.”
