Home » Santa Clarita News » Politics » Senator Scott Wilk Urges Congress To ‘Fix’ Retirement’ Policy

Senator Scott Wilk Urges Congress To ‘Fix’ Retirement’ Policy

Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Thursday that a resolution aimed at getting the federal government to repeal two federal retirement benefit laws passed unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement.

Senate Joint Resolution 3 (SJR 3) encourages the United States Congress and President to repeal two federal retirement benefit laws that reduce Social Security benefits in certain circumstances for public employees and their spouses, according to officials.

“While this seems complicated, it is not,” Wilk said. “Some of our hardest-working public servants, including peace officers, firefighters and educators, see their social security benefit slashed because of these federal policies. These policies disproportionately impact women and the federal government needs to ensure retirees receive the benefits they have rightfully earned.”

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), were passed in the 1970s in an effort to prevent “double-dipping” from social security and other government pensions, according to Wilk

The GPO does so by cutting benefits when an individual receives a government pension, and their spouse is eligible for social security from non-government employment. Similarly, the WEP cuts an individual’s benefits when they are eligible for social security and government pensions from separate employers, according to officials.

However, supporters of SJR 3 claim that these policies disproportionately affect lower-income workers and can discourage qualified individuals from seeking public-sector jobs: such as STEM education, according to officials.

“These laws were intended to prevent people from taking advantage of the government, but instead, they have resulted in the government taking advantage of its people,” Wilk said. “I am thankful to my colleagues on the committee for helping me take this step forward, and I hope the federal government will hear us and finally take action.”

SJR 3 has support from a number of groups representing public educators and law enforcement, including the California Teachers Association, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, and the Peace Officers Research Association (PORAC).

SJR 3 is now set to go to the Senate Floor for consideration by the full Senate.


Sponsored Articles


Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 - Santa Clarita News - Santa Clarita Radio

Senator Scott Wilk Urges Congress To ‘Fix’ Retirement’ Policy

One comment

  1. I am one who is penalized for having a retirement plan set up.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About KHTS Newsroom

KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 focuses on Santa Clarita news, traffic, weather, sports, and also plays music. Bringing you SCV breaking news first and keeping you up to date with Santa Clarita events.