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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A state senator says lawmakers are unlikely to pass Governor Ed Rendell's... Senator says payroll tax fo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A state senator says lawmakers are unlikely to pass Governor Ed Rendell's proposal to expand state-subsidized insurance through a new business payroll tax because of questions about its legality and its effect on businesses.

Senator Jake Corman says he hasn't met a lawmaker from either party in the House or the Senate who will vote for the tax. The Centre County Republican was on a Senate panel that heard testimony on the proposal in Harrisburg.

The payroll tax is one of several funding sources for Rendell's "Cover All Pennsylvanians" initiative. The state would collect it from businesses that do not currently insure their employees.

Some lawmakers have complained the proposal would encourage some employers to drop private insurance coverage. Other critics say the proposal is similar to a Maryland law that was struck down by a federal appeals court in January.

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