Keeping a promise he made to constituents, state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-16, submitted paperwork Jan. 19 refusing to take the taxpayer-funded pension available to Pennsylvania lawmakers.

“One of the ways we can restore the people’s faith in our institutions is to keep our promises,” Coleman said in a news release. “I told the residents of the 16th district that, if they elected me, I would refuse to collect the taxpayer-funded pension. I have kept that promise.

“Families are facing increased costs and workers are struggling to fund their own retirements; they don’t need to be paying for those of legislators, too.”

The paperwork refusing the defined-benefit pension was filed with the State Employees’ Retirement System, which maintains the pension plans of lawmakers and state employees.

The 16th district includes Heidelberg and Lynn townships and Slatington borough.