* During his State of the State address in February, Gov. Pat Quinn said he was in favor of SB1, which at that time was a hybrid pension reform plan that included the Nekritz/Cross language and Senate President John Cullerton’s likely more constitutional reforms…

President Cullerton, thank you for recognizing this, and thank you for your leadership in providing us a path forward through Senate Bill 1, a comprehensive bill that stabilizes our pension systems and fixes the problem.

And thank you, Leader Tom Cross and Representative Elaine Nekritz for working together on a bi-partisan basis to make sure that pension reform is Job One for this General Assembly.

I urge all of you to be part of the solution. And while refinements may come, Senate Bill 1 is the best vehicle to get the job done. [Emphasis added.]

This was something like the third pension bill that Quinn had supported.

* Then, during his budget address last month, Gov. Quinn dropped his explicit support for SB1 and laid out several “fundamental elements” which he said “should be part of pension reform”…

First, there must be a firm guarantee that the State of Illinois will pay its full pension amount every year. I’ve done that since I’ve been governor.

But that did not happen under previous governors and legislatures. They shorted the pension fund and shirked their responsibility. That’s why we have a pension crisis today.

As you know, to make up for that failure, we’ve had to issue two pension obligation notes under my administration. The debt service on these notes will expire in 2020.

Once those notes expire, all of that revenue – nearly $1 billion annually – should be dedicated to the unfunded pension liability.
In addition, employees should adjust their own contributions to their pensions.

A few weeks ago, I attended the summit called by representatives of public employees. I listened to them.

I was pleased that they volunteered to raise their employee contribution to help resolve the pension crisis. This offer should be part of the solution.

* From yesterday…

Quinn endorsed the approach to reforming the underfunded state pensions that has gained the most traction. The House approved separate bills that would rein in cost-of-living adjustments, raise the retirement age and limit how salary could counted toward a retirement check — elements that Quinn wants senators to support in a final pension package.

Trouble is, those bills don’t include Quinn’s “fundamental elements” like guaranteed pension payments, using proceeds from pension bonds for pension payments when the bonds are retired and higher employee contributions.

* The governor’s full remarks…

I respect all of the legislators. I was so happy to see the House come together in a bi-partisan way. They had 25 Republicans, 41 Democrats, vote for a very comprehensive bill - and that’s really good.

I hope this passes the house very quickly. We need to do pensions sooner rather than later. This should not be happening at the last minute. Let’s get it done right away. I’m anxious to get a bill on my desk. In the senate I noticed there were about 23 votes for the House bill. When it comes back over, we only need seven more and I really look forward to working with Senate Democrats to get that extra seven votes to get to 30 to get the job done for the taxpayers of Illinois and the people of our state.

Pension reform is Job 1 this year and everybody has a little different idea. We’re not all going to get every single thing we want.

But let’s get something on my desk that I can sign into law for the people.”

So in just two months he’s gone from insisting on a comprehensive reform that tries to cover all bases, to demanding that “fundamental elements” be included in a pension bill, to yesterday’s “let’s get something on my desk.”

Also, he’s mistaken about that Senate vote. They had a roll call on the much more comprehensive Nekrtiz/Cross bill, not those three individual House bills.