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Harrisburg,
February 26, 2003 – State Sen. Mike Stack said today he will
reintroduce legislation that would enable teachers and state
employees to retire after 30 years of service, regardless of their
age.
“I am reintroducing a
long-overdue measure that would benefit
dedicated teaching professionals, public
servants, and the taxpaying public,” Stack
said today.
Current law requires that a
teacher or public employee with 30 years of
service must be at least 60 years old to
qualify for maximum benefits.
Those who retire before age 60 are penalized
with a smaller benefit.
“Teachers and other public
employees who serve long, distinguished
careers should be rewarded for their hard
work,” Stack said.
“Three decades of service clearly reflects a genuine
dedication to our children, schools, and
Commonwealth.
The time has come to recognize these professionals for the
value of time they have served instead of
penalizing them because of what year they
were born.”
Stack added that Senate Bill
359, which has 13 co-sponsors, would also
benefit school districts, government
entities, and taxpayers.
“As veteran teachers and
public workers retire, they are replaced
with younger employees at lower salaries,”
he said.
“This translates to lower costs for the employers, and relief
for citizens whose taxes support schools and
government operations.”
“Loosening retirement
restrictions offers the additional benefit
of opening doors of opportunity for younger
Pennsylvanians who are embarking on careers
in teaching and public service.”
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