Rauner Named Nation's Most Influential Pension Figure
The trade magazine "Institutional Investor" has ranked Illinois' incoming governor as its most influential player in U.S. pensions. An article says Bruce Rauner may regret ever having run for office,...
View ArticleState Pension Payment Set To Go Up In 2015
The new year will see an increase in the amount Illinois pays into the state's five publicly-funded pension systems. The State Journal-Register in Springfield reports (http://bit.ly/13TU5CI) Illinois'...
View ArticlePotential Pension Case Holdup
As they seek to permanently toss Illinois' pension overhaul, state employees and retirees are asking the state Supreme Court for more time to make their arguments. Lawyers filed the request...
View ArticleCourt Rejects Request To Delay Pension Case
The fate of Illinois' pension law will stay on the fast track. Illinois' Supreme Court justices today rejected a request for a delay.It can take a long time for a case to wend its way through the...
View ArticleDem Sees 'Fuzzy Pension Math' In Rauner Budget
Gov. Bruce Rauner is calling for big cuts in state spending. But some of his projected savings could be a long way off.A huge chunk of Rauner’s budget savings comes from freezing state pensions and...
View ArticleRauner's Budget: Honest, Or Slash And Burn?
Thirty-eight days into his term as Illinois' governor, Bruce Rauner yesterday delivered his much-anticipated budget address. Amanda Vinicky recaps the financial reckoning.
View ArticlePensions: Plenty To Talk About While Waiting For The Court
Pensions' big day before the Illinois Supreme Court has been set for next month, on March 11. I was honored to be on a panel recently (before Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget address, so no talk about his...
View ArticleWhen Will The Illinois Supreme Court Decide Pension Case?
There's a simple rule of thumb for determining when the Illinois Supreme Court will rule on a given case, and it's that there is no rule of thumb for determining when the Illinois Supreme Court will...
View ArticlePension Case Reaches Climax At Supreme Court
The many years legislators spent crafting a measure to rein in the state's pension costs came to a head yesterday in 52-and-a-half minute hearing before the Illinois Supreme Court. It's now up to the...
View ArticleDemocrats Press Governor On Pensions
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s ideas about how to change government-employee pensions are getting extra scrutiny in Springfield.Rauner wants employees to be moved into less generous plans for future pension...
View ArticleOptions For Pension Reform Plan B May Be Limited
(This story first appeared on the Illinois Issues blog last summer that appeared to set the stage for overturning the pension law. Jamey Dunn looked at what other choices remain for state leaders)
View ArticleGov. Rauner Calls Pension Decision "Right and Fair"
Gov. Bruce Rauner says the Illinois Supreme Court's decision striking down the state's public pension overhaul was ``fair and right.'' The Republican governor says he has long believed that the 2013...
View ArticleCullerton Wants Reconsideration of Pension Consideration
Even though John Cullerton went along with the pension law that on Friday was found by the state's high court to be unconstitutional, the Illinois Senate President had always favored another approach....
View ArticleNew Pension Fixes May Emerge; Rauner Considering Ideas That "Haven't Been...
New ways to tackle Illinois' underfunded pension systems could be emerging, as the Republican governor appears to be backing away from his plan.There's good reason many lawmakers are feeling flummoxed....
View ArticleUnion Brings Another Pension Lawsuit: How It's Different Than The Others
Another lawsuit over a pension law was filed this week in Illinois, this time seeking to strike a law that reduced Chicago Park District pensions. That could be significant for other local governments,...
View ArticlePension Funds Will Send Checks, But Still Face A Cash Crunch
Illinois' lack of a budget means public pension systems won't get their state contribution next month. That won't stop retirees from getting their checks. However, there could still be an impact.
View ArticlePension Law Back Before State's High Court: Been There, Done That. Or Is This...
The Illinois Supreme Court is taking on another pension case, six months after justices unanimously tossed out the state's landmark pension law. Tuesday they heard arguments as to whether a law...
View ArticlePensions: Back On The Table
Even with all of its fiscal troubles Illinois will have to put nearly $8 billion into its retirement systems next year -- that's a quarter of the state's expected revenue. Legislative leaders and the...
View ArticleState Week: 2015 In Review
This week, a look back at the past year in Illinois state government and politics. WUIS News Director Sean Crawford and Illinois Issues Editor Jamey Dunn join the panel.
View ArticleAgreement Or Not? Rauner And Dems Still Apart On Pensions
A new pension plan introduced Thursday by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner as a bipartisan deal immediately crashed and burned.
View ArticleState Week: Pension Overhaul Talks Get More Confusing
Talks on fixing the state pension debt resumed, but Governor Bruce Rauner and Senate President John Cullerton can't seem to agree on what they agreed to and Rauner declared contract negotiations with...
View ArticleMadigan Says He's Open To Another Try At Pension System Changes
House Speaker Michael Madigan says he's open to considering a new pension overhaul and is ``anxious'' to see legislation.
View ArticleState Week: State Of The State Stalemate
Governor Bruce Rauner gave his second annual State of the State address before a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly this week. Doug Finke of the State Journal-Register joins the panel.
View ArticleLegislators Weigh Pension Buyouts
It’s been 10 months since the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the state’s last attempt at a pension overhaul. Legislators have yet to decide what to do about Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension...
View ArticleIllinois Supreme Court Overturns Chicago Pension Law
The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down another attempt to control the cost of government pension benefits.This time it was Chicago city employees and retirees whose pensions were being...
View ArticleState Week: Court Rulings On Pensions, Raises
A pair of Illinois Supreme Court rulings this week are a mixed bag for government employees. The justices struck down a law intended to reduce benefits for Chicago city employees, but also found that...
View ArticleEducation Desk: Cullerton Proposes A School Funding Plan
As the clock ticks down on the General Assembly, lawmakers are struggling to avoid the debacle of public schools not opening in the fall. But they’re having a tough time coming up with a school funding...
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