* I’m not trying to single out Sen. Rezin here, but we have a recent quote so let’s use it. This has been the standard response to the Democratic push to shift employer pension costs away from the state and down to local school districts…

“It is not helping to stabilize pensions. It is purely shifting a cost that is in the state budget down to local budgets,” said state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris).

* But the second largest school district in the state, northwest suburban District U-46, concluded some very interesting teacher contract negotiations a couple of months ago…

The district still may terminate the agreement without notice if the state’s property tax extension law is passed or changes are made to the teacher pension law that would shift the burden of teacher pension payments to the school board. [Emphasis added.]

In other words, if the cost shift passes, teacher pay raises can be nullified without notice. Why would the district want to do that? To keep their own pension costs down. If they finally have skin in the game and can no longer make state taxpayers pay the costs, then they’ll likely nullify the pay raises.

So, for at least one district, the cost shift idea is already having an impact.

* Also, Gov. Pat Quinn has signed on to a long, extended shift process…

On Monday, Quinn advocated giving school districts 12 years to phase in their shares of pension costs.

Twelve years is, of course, a very long time for districts to absorb those costs.

* But there doesn’t seem to be any hurry by anyone on either side of the aisle to get this done right away…

“If it affects next fiscal year, then we should work on it and refine it and pass it in the next legislative session,” [Rep. Pam Roth (R-Morris)] said.

*** UPDATE *** I missed this one earlier. Speaking of delays…

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton renewed his call Wednesday for the House to take up pension changes affecting only state employees and state lawmakers.

The Chicago Democrat said acting on even a portion of the state’s pension funding dilemma should send a message to bond rating agencies that the state is addressing its financial problems, including underfunding of its pension plans.

“The rating agencies should look to the vote that we took in the Senate and hopefully the vote that they’ll take in the House and see we passed major, major pension reform,” Cullerton said.