HARRISBURG – Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) applauded creation of a new law that would prohibit state employees – including lawmakers – from collecting a state pension if found guilty of a job-related felony.
Act 1 of 2019, sponsored by Senator John DiSanto (R-Dauphin/Perry), was approved by both the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Wolf today. Phillips-Hill was a cosponsor of the bill and strongly supported it in the Senate.
The new law closes a loophole that one disgraced former state lawmaker exploited in order to collect a $245,000 annual pension after pleading guilty to a non-forfeiture felony offense.
“It is outrageous to think that someone who commits a job-related felony could continue to abuse taxpayers by collecting a pension after they are found guilty in a court of law. The taxpayers of Pennsylvania deserve better,” said Phillips-Hill, who does not accept a public pension. “It is encouraging that the first bill signed into law this year is a measure intended to restore the public’s trust in government, and penalize public officials who break that sacred trust for personal gain.”
You can listen to Senator Phillips-Hill’s comments here.