An effort to block Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's proposed 1 percent tuition tax has begun in Harrisburg.

State Rep. Paul Costa, D-Allegheny, issued a news release this afternoon saying he will seek to "prohibit tuition taxes such as the one proposed by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on students attending Pittsburgh universities and colleges.

"I understand we are in hard economic times and we have to look for ways to raise revenue, but I will not stand for raising this revenue at the expense of our students," he said in the release. "We cannot place our financial burdens as a city on college students, many of whom can barely pay for their books and tuition, let alone a tax on that tuition."

He noted that two of the five Pittsburgh City Council members who have said they'll vote for the tax -- Jim Motznik and Tonya Payne -- will not be on council next year when it could take effect. He also will push legislation requiring two-thirds votes of municipal councils to pass tax hikes during a "lame duck" period between an election and the end of their session.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ravenstahl downplayed the possibility of state preemption of his tax plan, which aims to raise $15 million for the city's wobbly pension fund and $1 million for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

"I've talked with many local representatives, and to this point I have heard nothing from them" about preempting the tax, the mayor said, at an event in Larimer.

"What I've told them is, if that is something that you'll consider, I would hope at the same time you'll consider a $15 million revenue stream."

They could raise the city's local services tax, charged to everyone who works within the city limits, from $52 to $144, he suggested.

"I haven't heard anybody that has disputed the fact that Pittsburgh needs $15 million."

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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