HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved a $1.8 billion pension boost for government and public school retirees on Tuesday.
The Associated Press reports the legislation was approved by a vote of 140 to 63, and all Democrats supported the measure.
Most House Republicans opposed the bill, saying the state has already sought to help low-income older Pennsylvanians by boosting subsidies for property taxes and rent, AP reports.
Republicans said pensioners receive Social Security which has already been boosted by cost-of-living adjustments due to inflation.
Rep. Brad Roae, R-Crawford, said the legislation is “so expensive it cannot be funded in one year.”
Pennsylvania’s teacher’s union called the legislation “long overdue.”
It’s not clear whether Gov. Josh Shapiro supports the bill. His office declined to give an answer but said it would continue to review it as it moved chambers.
The bill will move on to the GOP-controlled state Senate.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
