Bonus Ban Measure Passes State Government Committee

HARRISBURG (10-02-2007) – The Senate State Government Committee this morning, by a vote of 10 to 0, passed Senate Bill 986. This measure would ban bonuses to all state employees and provide for penalties for those that willfully violate this law. The bill, sponsored by 30th District State Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr., was amended in the committee to strengthen the language and include a provision making intentional violation a 3rd degree misdemeanor.

“In spite of some lingering opposition to certain reform in the General Assembly, this bill is something that we really have to pass,” Eichelberger explained. “Given all of the abuses that we’ve seen lately regarding bonuses, it’s time for the legislature to step up and do the right thing by eliminating a practice that is so susceptible to abuse.”

The original language would have required procedures to be established for the disbursement of bonuses, but Eichelberger became convinced that this just didn’t go far enough. “Whether you’re talking about the bonuses to legislative staff that are currently under investigation by the Attorney General, the PHEAA bonuses, or any of the other abuses that we’ve seen, it’s clear that the time is now to ban bonuses outright and show the public that we’re serious about doing their business,” Eichelberger said. “Simply stating that we’re stopping this process just doesn’t go far enough, and I applaud my colleagues, particularly our Senate leadership, for supporting this measure and doing what they can to move this process forward.”

SB 986 will now be placed on the Senate calendar for an eventual vote by the full Senate before being received by the House of Representatives.