More than 6,000 state employees are currently “double dipping” by retiring, drawing a pension, and then going back to work while still receiving retirement benefits, costing taxpayers millions.
According to a KRGV News open records request, there are 50 different state agencies that all have employees that are currently double-dipping. The cost to the taxpayer: $400 million a year.
Closing this $400 million per year loophole could go a long way towards softening some of the cuts that many members have found difficult to make.
HB 3081 by Rep. Isaac and HB 2451 by Rep. Zedler attempt to do just that. Rep. Isaac’s bill would suspend payments from the Employee Retirement System for any retired employee that returns to work until the employee retires for a final time. Rep. Zedler’s bill would have those employees pay back into the Employee Retirement System as they did when they were originally employed.
Both bills have been referred to the Pensions, Investments, & Financial Services committee but have not been scheduled for a public hearing. Call your representative today and ask that they support these two fiscally responsible bills.
Don’t know who your representative is? Look them up on Who Represents Me?
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Dustin Matocha is the Social Media Coordinator for Empower Texans / Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
Connect with Dustin on Twitter.
