On a 28-19 vote, the Senate’s Republican majority carried a major public employee pension reform measure to passage Wednesday afternoon.  All Republicans present voted for the bill except one, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf of Montgomery County. All Democrats present voted against it.  The bill, as passed, would for the first time in more than 30 years attempt to roll back future pension benefit formulas for current state employees and school teachers, albeit only for their work after its enactment.  Supporters say it is needed to rid the state budget of a fiscal tapeworm that is crowding out other needed investments.  Opponents, including the state’s major public sector unions, have vowed a court challenge if that kind of language is passed into law.

Click here for full article.

Source: Penn Live, by Charles Thompson | cthompson@pennlive.com, May 13, 2015 at 3:28 PM, updated May 13, 2015 at 5:18 PM; PA Ed Policy Roundup, May 14, 2015.