Same-sex marriage will add nearly $100 million to Pennsylvania's economy

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 23 (UPI) -- The commonwealth of Pennsylvania could see an additional $92.1 million spent in the state now that it allows same-sex marriage. Local government can also expect nearly $6 million in additional tax revenue, this according to a study released by the Williams Institute.

Researchers say they kept their formulas and conclusions conservative to account for any unanticipated negative factors or notably off-base projections.

"Throughout this report, we rely on conservative estimates to assess the economic impact of extending the right to marry to same-sex couples," they wrote in the study.

Despite these restrictions in calculation, researchers could foresee no scenario where the legalization of same-sex marriage failed to significantly add to Pennsylvanian coffers.

"All assumptions are cautious and, given the range of possibilities, likely produce revenue impacts on the lower bound. Even so, we find that extending marriage to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania will have a positive impact on the state's economy."

In addition to a windfall in revenue, both personal and private, same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania could lead to an additional 1,142 new jobs.