PA House defeats payroll deduction bill on bipartisan vote

On Dec. 12, the PA House defeated a payroll deduction bill aimed at silencing the voices of working Pennsylvanians.

By a vote of 90-102, state representatives rejected Senate Bill 166, which would have prevented PSEA members from using voluntary payroll deduction to contribute to PSEA-PACE.

The vote is a clear victory for PSEA members who spoke out against this measure. Since the start of 2017, PSEA members have sent nearly 54,000 messages to lawmakers urging them to reject SB 166. When PSEA members speak out, our elected officials listen.

An ongoing campaign

Senate Bill 166 and other bills like it are part of an ongoing campaign funded by special interest groups to put corporations and the wealthy ahead of ordinary Pennsylvanians.

“This isn’t good government,” PSEA President Dolores McCracken said of SB 166. “It’s a way to tell hardworking, middle-class Pennsylvanians what they can and can’t do with their own paychecks.”

A legislative recap

Here’s what you need to know about Senate Bill 166:

• In February, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 166 by a vote of 28-22.
• On Dec. 12, the state House rejected an amended version of that bill by a vote of 90-102.
• The amended SB 166 would prevent PSEA members from using voluntary payroll deduction to contribute to PSEA-PACE.
• The state representatives pushing these bills have introduced a motion to reconsider the vote on SB 166, which could happen sometime next year.
• These lawmakers have a clear goal in mind: to silence the voices of middle-class people.
• Behind them is a network of millionaire-funded special interest groups that puts corporations and the wealthy ahead of ordinary Pennsylvanians.

PSEA will continue to monitor payroll deduction legislation and keep you updated. Thank you for making a difference.