Knowles: House Approves Public Pension Reform and Liquor Privatization Bills
HARRISBURG – On Tuesday, the state House approved a public pension reform measure and a liquor privatization plan, and both have been sent to Gov. Tom Wolf for his consideration. After the votes, Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill) issued the following statement:
“There’s no question that public pension reform is much needed in Pennsylvania. Changes are necessary as costs of contributions are rapidly increasing, and are actually estimated to reach $1 billion this year alone. Taxpayers in the district I represent simply can’t afford to pay for this unfunded liability. For many school districts across the state, the rising costs of pensions are raising the property taxes, and the districts have to spend more money to pay pension liabilities. This can lead to negative impacts of the overall quality of other educational programs. Improvements to these systems are necessary to provide long-term stability for our state’s financial future, our public education system, and our taxpayers.
“And as for the liquor privatization plan, this proposal would cut the tie between government and the booze business, which in turn gives Pennsylvania the opportunity to step into the 21st century. The sale and promotion of wine and liquor are not core and essential services of government, and in fact, I believe it creates a conflict of interest. A state government that devotes its energies to enforcement, compliance and education, rather than selling alcohol, really benefits everyone.”
For more information about this legislation, or any other legislative topic, contact Knowles’ district office in Tamaqua at 570-668-1240, or in Hamburg at 610-562-3411. Information can also be found online at
RepKnowles.com or
Facebook.com/RepKnowles.
Representative Jerry Knowles
124th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Krisinda Corbin
717.705.2032
kcorbin@pahousegop.com
RepKnowles.com / Facebook.com/RepKnowles