House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

Posted:	December 17, 2012 02:17 PM
From:	Representative Marguerite Quinn
To:	All House members
Subject:	COLA SUSPENSION FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY

This session, I will reintroduce my bill for a one-year suspension of the cost of living adjustment (COLA) in place for members, officers and leaders of the General Assembly. Last session this was HB 1380, and in the ’09-’10 session it was HB 2097. As you know, Pennsylvania’s annual, automatic cost-of-living adjustment for the General Assembly is effective December 1st each year, and is based upon the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This proposal would give the General Assembly the flexibility to react to the economic reality in Pennsylvania. A couple of years ago the CPI that calculates the COLA for Social Security indicated that there will be no increase for our seniors, yet a month later, a different CPI granted members of the General Assembly a COLA. This disparity resulted in some Members writing checks back to the Treasury, and some donating the money to causes within their district. This proposal will amend (for one year only) the Public Official Compensation Law to suspend the automatic December 1, 2013 annual cost-of-living-adjustment. This suspension will expire on November 30, 2014. Many of us already give back or donate this COLA in difficult economic times. Passage of this legislation will make this process uniform, but will not set long-term policy. Please join me in supporting this common sense, one-year COLA suspension. Thank you for your consideration.
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Introduced as HB37