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| Rep. Darlene Senger, Naperville |
In a recent column in Reboot Illinois, Rep. Darlene Senger talks about new legislation that would keep convicted criminals from collection taxpayer funded pensions.
Believe it or not, criminals in Illinois can still legally collect taxpayer funded public pensions while behind bars. Currently in Illinois, unless the crime is related to the retiree’s job, public pensions must be paid to criminals.
For example, retired Chicago fire department lieutenant, Eugene Ornstead, was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of first degree murder of his wife in 1994. Ornstead’s crime was not tied to his job as a firefighter; therefore, he continues to collect a pension check from the Chicago firefighter’s pension fund.
Despite his life sentence, he still receives a pension check while incarcerated, costing taxpayers more than $55,000 a year. Reboot Illinois has the rest of the story.
Should incarcerated felons receive taxpayer funded pensions? Let us know what you think.