Wichita ? Public employees in Kansas, as in most other states, don’t lose pensions they have acquired on the job if they are convicted of job-related crimes.

And that means a lot of money for former Haysville school superintendent Lynn Stevens.

Stevens was convicted of felony misuse of public funds, and The Wichita Eagle estimates that Stevens is eligible for a state government pension of about $56,000 a year.

The exact amount is unknown because information about state-funded pensions is not public record in Kansas.

The Eagle’s figure is based on a state pension formula using salary and years of service.

Pensions for about 20,000 state employees are managed by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. Generally, one-sixth of a KPERS pension comes from an employee’s contributions, one-sixth comes from the state, and the remainder comes from investment earnings.

KPERS provides retirement benefits to school personnel, state employees, county workers and most city employees.

State Sen. John Vratil, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, said he doubts the law is necessary.

“Kansas, for the most part, has been relatively scandal-free in the recent past,” said Vratil, R-Leawood. “I would have to be convinced that forfeiture of one’s pension would have significant deterrent value before I would consider it.”

But state Rep. Tony Powell, R-Wichita, House Ethics and Elections Committee chairman, said public pension forfeiture deserves consideration.

“The opposite argument,” he said, “is you’re really bludgeoning the guy.”