Harrisburg — Currently still in the memorandum stage and seeking co-sponsorship, State Representative Scott Conklin (D – Centre) plans to introduce a new bill that would require members of the General Assembly and state administration officials to refrain from adding Cost of Living Adjustment increases to their pay for at least three years.
Calling it the “Shared Sacrifice” bill, Conklin said that as many Pennsylvanians are out of work and left making hard decisions on tight budgets, it is a sensible move to suspend pay raises for a few years to offset the state’s revenue losses.
“We can’t ask Pennsylvanians to make sacrifices and tighten their belts if we aren’t willing to do the same,” Conklin said. “Current estimates show that we will have a $4 billion shortfall in revenues as we head into the next fiscal year, and we will need to itemize every penny to ensure necessary programs and essential services can be provided. As elected officials, it’s imperative we need to do our part to ensure we don’t add an additional financial burden on our already cash-strapped residents.”
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