State Senator Art Haywood made the following statement on the passage of Senate Bill 1:
Harrisburg, May 14, 2015: “I am deeply disappointed in the state senate’s decision to pass Senate Bill 1 yesterday. Not only does Senator Corman’s bill not address Pennsylvania’s $58 billion pension deficit, but this legislation is illegal. SB1 represents a clear violation of employee contracts guaranteeing specific retirement benefits to our teachers, troopers and other state workers. Of the $18 billion in purported savings to the Commonwealth, $13 billion would come directly out of the pockets of current employees.
Beyond its illegal nature, SB1 would leave a retiree who had spent thirty years with the state, and had a final salary of $31,111 with only $6,361 in annual pension benefits. SB1 punishes hardworking individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the commonwealth with a poverty sentence. There is no excuse for legislation that robs older Pennsylvanians of their right to retire in dignity. Our pension deficit can and must be addressed by making payments, as Governor Wolf proposes in his budget – not by violating the rights of hardworking Pennsylvanians.”
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Contact: Melissa Ostroff
215-517-1434
mostroff@pasenate.com