Illinois' state pension overhaul ruled unconstitutional
Source: STL Post-Dispatch
An Illinois judge has struck down a pension law designed to right state's listing fiscal ship, saying leaders can't balance their budgets by cutting benefits to unionized state workers.
" T)he state of Illinois made a constitutionally protected promise to its employees concerning their pension benefits, Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Belz wrote in a ruling released Friday afternoon. Under established and uncontroverted Illinois law, the State of Illinois cannot break this promise.
State Attorney General Lisa Madigan immediately announced she would appeal the ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court. In a written statement, she said her office will ask the high court to expedite the appeal, given the significant impact that a final decision in this case will have on the states fiscal condition.
Gov. Pat Quinn and the legislature overhauled Illinois' state employee pension system in 2013, in an effort to address the state's $100 billion pension debt, the worst in the nation. The new law trimmed back retiree benefits and made other changes aimed at cutting costs.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/kevin-mcdermott/illinois-state-pension-overhaul-ruled-unconstitutional/article_2eda6f28-96d8-59a7-8ad2-95729d603b47.html
Chicago Tribune: Landmark state pension law struck down by Springfield judge
louis-t
(23,297 posts)You make a promise, that should be irrevocable.
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)If people are mad, blame those who failed to negotiate a better collective bargaining agreement with better (for them) terms, and also blame those who - along the way - raided revenues which should have been going towards the retirement fund.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Why can't the states? This is great news!!!
closeupready
(29,503 posts)And when a state says to its employees, 'if you stay, we'll give you x towards your pension' and then workers decide - in part on the basis of that promise - to stay and work with the state (working until retirement), it's outrageous to later see the states working hard to dishonor a commitment they are fully capable of meeting.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)any earned benefits like many state employees will over time. It will get ugly. The Postal Workers will be one of the better retirees due to the hurt they have now.
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)He's fucking over N.J. retirees in a similar way.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)with regard to these pensions:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/american-civics-subject/american-civics/v/illinois-pension-obligations
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Some "Democrat."
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)former9thward
(32,082 posts)Last edited Sat Nov 22, 2014, 01:21 AM - Edit history (1)
Mike Madigan. She has always acted in his interest, no one else.
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)Paulie
(8,462 posts)It's the only way to come up with the 80 or so Billion dollars in pension shortfalls. And he campaigned against Quinn because he said Quinn was going to make the temp tax increase permanent.
Bruce going to bring back illinois to more epic deficits. And he paid out of his own pocket for the job. LoL
frazzled
(18,402 posts)and this will disproportionately affect the poor.
Illinois needs to change to a graduated income tax that has a high rate for the top income brackets. I don't see that coming under Governor Rauner.
There is no freaking way out of this.
Paulie
(8,462 posts)Yay Illinois.
State is always late paying bills as it is. Especially to social service agencies.
It's going to be horrible.
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)former9thward
(32,082 posts)No way he can raise taxes without them approving it. Are they willing to put their heads in the chopping block? I don't think so.
Paulie
(8,462 posts)And then he will veto, and it will be passed by Dems. So the Dems take the blame for 70 years of mismanagement. Sigh
Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)Omaha Steve
(99,737 posts)Many of them are AFSCME AFL-CIO just like me.
Flip side is my local just voted after negotiations to pay more and get less on our pensions: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014947581
K&R!
OS