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Nekritz: Pension reform after election

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Illinois

* House Speaker Michael Madigan’s point person on pension reform told the Daily Herald that she doesn’t expect any action until after the election…

Illinois state Rep. Elaine Nekritz doesn’t expect lawmakers to act on pension reform until after the Nov. 6 general election, though Gov. Pat Quinn said they should be ready to return to Springfield this summer to work on the contentious issue.

“It’s not ideal,” Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat and a member of the governor’s pension reform committee, said of the prospect of politics delaying the issue until after the election.

However, “I feel that on May 30, we were so close to having a real piece of legislation. And so, if it gets done in a lame-duck session … it will get done because it’s the right thing to get done,” she told the Daily Herald editorial board.

Quinn and top legislative leaders have planned to meet again in August to try to hash out an agreement on pensions. On Monday, he warned lawmakers should be ready to return to Springfield.

“Summertime is a good time to act, and so the legislators have to be on their toes here that this is a matter that is confounding our state for decades, and it must be resolved, now,” he remarked during an appearance at Soldier Field in Chicago to sign a law on veterans tax credits.

Nekritz also said that she doesn’t believe any pension reform will take effect before July 1st of next year because the pension systems want the GA to stick to the fiscal year timeline.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:21 am

Comments

Really, what a bold prediction.

Comment by Obamas Puppy Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:23 am
At least it’s not the 2nd tuesday of next week…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:30 am
So what is the impact on this year’s fiscal? Does it presume pension savings?

Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:37 am
No surprises here.

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:49 am
Not terribly surprising. However, I’d still like to see the work product on the GOP “study” on pension-shift scenarios to schools.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:50 am
As with any major changes, it must be done by legislators who don’t care about their chances for getting re-elected. Perpetual cowards, the lot of them.

Comment by over the top Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 10:57 am
I wish they would stop using the term “reform”, as if something positive is planned. As long as borrowed money is still owed to the pension system and the focus is only on payouts, “cutbacks”, “shifting” or something accurate would be an honest way of phrasing this adverse action.

Comment by Crime Fighter Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 11:01 am
Well, the good news is that delaying action doesn’t cost any more.

Oh, wait…

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 11:03 am
I don’t think the pension system needs reformed, the funding for the system needs reform. And if that doesn’t get fixed, the problem will still be with us.

Comment by RetiredStateEmployee Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 11:09 am
more fine public policy brought to you by the lame ducks. wonder how many will provide votes, then magically matriculate to well paying positions in the executive branch–which coincidentally helps their pension calculations. nah, that’s too cynical a view.

oh well, at least this would seem to allow another round of COLAs january 1, to help me get ready to “choose” to pay for my health insurance.

Comment by langhorne Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 11:21 am
Good grief!!! What do we pay these people for? When are the citizens going to wake up to the fact that this State is going no where but down and we have public officials that are afraid to make hard decisions?

Comment by Just a Citizen Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 11:59 am
actually, q, people on Medicaid have better health care coverage, at least in theory, than virtually any one else in the state, retired or employed. Their big downside (in addition to, of course, in most cases being poor) is access, especially to specialists.

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 12:06 pm
Thanks for the educational post, quincy. Off to the welfare office for me, forget this work stuff…

Comment by Small Town Liberal Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 12:07 pm
The proposal that was never called for a vote didn’t envision savings until next fiscal year.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 12:28 pm
Another profile in courage.

Comment by mokenavince Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 12:37 pm
Gee, and the new insurance rates won’t be done for a couple of months either. Hmm. So the big question is how much support, money/campaign work/votes will the legislative candidates receive from the employees/unions/retirees before they get hammered like they didn’t see it coming?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 1:02 pm
In a related development, Gordon Maag is suing to overturn the retiree health care changes. That will be an interesting case to watch with some pretty high stakes for the state budget and for any pension reform plans.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 1:13 pm
Lame duck pension reform is most likely code for another income tax hike.

Comment by Jade Rabbit Tuesday, Jul 10, 12 @ 4:37 pm