HB 2497 Pension Bailout Unconstitutional — HB 2497 aka Gen Theft was sent to the governor’s desk for a signature Nov. 15 after a 165 to 31 vote in the Pennsylvania House. The sick thing is that 32 minutes earlier a vote to declare the bill unconstitutional passed the House on a 128-68 vote. This means that 37 legislators ended up voting for a bill they had voted to be unconstitutional.
Bob Guzzardi of LibertyIndex.Com lists the bovine 39 as:
Republicans: Matthew Baker (Tioga), Kerry Benninghoff (Centre), Martin Causer (Bradford), Jim Christina (Beaver), Paul Clymer (Bucks), Gary Day (Berks), Sheryl Delozier (Cumberland), Garth Everett (Lycoming), Will Gabig (Cumberland), Matt Gabler (Elk), Mauree Gingrich (Lebanon), Glen Grell (Cumberland), Marcia Hahn (Northampton), Ted Harhart (Fayette), Sue Helm (Dauphin), Tim Hennessy (Chester), Rob Kauffman (Cumberland), Mark Keller (Franklin), John Maher (Allegheny), Sandra Major (Susquehanna), Ron Marsico (Dauphin), Ron Miller (York), Dan Moul (Adams), John Payne (Dauphin), Tina Pickett (Bradford), Jeffrey Pyle (Armstrong), Thomas Quigley (Montgomery), Marguerite Quinn (Berks), Kathy Rapp (Forest), Dave Reed (Indiana), Doug Reichley (Lehigh), Todd Rock (Franklin), Curtis Sonney (Erie), Katie True (Lancaster), Randy Vulakovich (Allegheny) and Katherine Watson (Bucks).
Democrats: Retiring Speaker of the House Keith McCall (Carbon), Dwight Evans (Philadelphia) and Brendan Boyle (Philadelphia).
HB 2497, which will certainly be signed by Gov. Rendell, bails out the Pennsylvania’s near bankrupt public pension system and was strongly supported by the Pennsylvania State Education Association and other public employee unions.
Is it stating the obvious to note that the very sweet legislative pensions are also saved by the bailout? What heroic public servants we have voted to represent us.
Commonwealth Foundation estimates that the bailout will cost the average homeowner $1,360 annually by 2012 in state and local taxes.
Will our state courts find the bill to be unconstitutional? People, the bill bailed out the judges’ pensions too.
HB 2497 Pension Bailout Unconstitutional
