Measure Would Yank Pensions From Philadelphia City Workers Convicted Of Child Sex Abuse
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A proposal in Philadelphia City Council prompted by the Penn State sexual abuse scandal ran into some legal roadblocks today at a committee hearing.
Councilwoman and Penn State alumna Blondell Reynolds-Brown had authored a bill in which any city employee convicted of sexual abuse of a minor would forfeit his or her city pension.
"Sexual offenders who violate our children should not be eligible to receive benefits from the taxpaying citizens of our city," she said.
But an attorney for City Council admitted that there several outstanding legal questions about the measure, including whether this change should be subject to negotiations with the city workers' unions, and whether it might be at some point preempted by state law.
Despite the issues, city finance director Rob Dubow said the mayor is on board:
"We support the legislation."
And with that assurance, the committee approved the plan and sent it to the full Council for a final vote next week.
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