Any relief taxpayers can receive following the COVID-19 pandemic is welcome. In that regard, we are pleased to see state Sens. Michele Brooks and Scott Hutchinson favor legislation that would allow individual school districts the option to extend their property tax discount periods and their base periods, as well as remove penalties for payments through June 30, 2021.

The Senate Bill 1125, sponsored by Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster County, unanimously passed and is now awaiting approval in the state House of Representatives. It was referred to the House Finance Committee recently.

“Millions of Pennsylvanians are still out of work due to Governor (Tom) Wolf’s shutdown orders, and hundreds of thousands of them haven’t been able to access unemployment benefits because of flaws in the system. It has never been more important to offer assistance and flexibility for taxpayers,” Martin said. “It is encouraging to see this bill moving forward to give school boards the ability to offer a helping hand to those who need it most.”

Our county has been fortunate. There are only five positive cases of COVID-19 known here.

Other areas, as we are well aware, are in dire straits.

This legislation will benefit everyone who has faced some sort of setback from this illness.