The State Worker: California public pension reform legislation deadline looms

The State Worker

Chronicling civil-service life for California state workers

August 27, 2012

California public pension reform legislation deadline looms

Lawmakers have a deadline to send pension reform legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown by Friday. The buzz around the Capitol is that Democrats met through the weekend, but as of this morning it looks like specific terms are still being debated.

There's no bill language in place. The special committee charged with delivering legislation is primed to meet relatively quickly, but it probably won't convene until tomorrow to vote on a bill package.

Every source we've talked with this morning in the labor, legislative and pension reform arenas say that differences remain in some key areas: the scope of reforms (those impacting current employees versus those that would be applied to future hires only), whether some changes should be bargained (unions want everything bargained) and the annual salary ceiling for setting a defined benefit pension cap.

Leaders of both the Senate and Assembly have promised to deliver pension legislation before the Legislature's two-year session ends at midnight on Friday. Any bills waiting for approval after that will die.

PHOTO: Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg / Sacramento Bee 2011 file, Hector Amezcua

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