California state worker unions lose ruling on loss of holidays
A Sacramento appellate court ruled Thursday that state workers covered by expired job contracts were not exempt from the state's elimination of two paid holidays.- The Sacramento Bee

Commentary: 'Nevada must be made whole'
As the 77th session of the Nevada Legislature nears its close, I invite my fellow Nevadans to learn about their state employees before the final votes are cast to determine the economic fate of state employees, their families, and their neighborhood businesses.- Elko Daily Free Press

State officials say parks fundraiser wrongly used cash
A private fundraising company hired to raise money for California state parks is accused of spending almost $1 million of a large donation on its own bills, an accusation it denies as legislators say they want more information.- News 10

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Senate panel questions Caltrans about Bay Bridge broken bolts, broken trust
Frustrated state senators pressed California Department of Transportation officials at a Tuesday hearing about how they will deal with thousands of suspect steel parts in the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge which were installed even though they had not met specifications.- Sacramento Bee

Civil protections curtailed for state workers under McCrory bill
RALEIGH -- The legislature is poised to curtail civil service protections for state employees, giving preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill pushed by Gov. Pat McCrory.- Raleigh News & Observer

New state budget: Where's the heart and humanity?
Try looking for some trace of heart and humanity in the $7.2 billion state budget for fiscal 2014 approved by the House and awaiting Senate action. Still searching? So too are many others. The budget is big on bricks and mortar and meager for people, those state employees who keep the government running. - Tulsa World

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The State Worker: Small project a big test for California's government tech skills
At the state's human resources headquarters in Sacramento, a small-but-significant test of state employee computer prowess is rebooting. - Sacramento Bee

State Workers Get Bear Defense Training
NCHORAGE - Some state employees' job requires them to deal with the state's crankiest residents. That's why for about four weeks every year, about 100 state workers who work in the field prepare for the worst-case scenario. - KTVA

New effort targets Pa.'s 'triple-dipping' state workers
Public employees would be protected from punishment for providing information requested by Louisiana lawmakers under a bill approved by a House committee Wednesday. House Bill 387 by Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, comes after some high-profile instances in which state officials who disagreed with Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration lost their jobs. - NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

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Check out this report from Indiana, where a state worker is claiming he was treated unfairly for forwarding a joke from his work email account.

Discipline for 3 Indiana state workers over forwarding joke emails - RTV6

Brown says more prison releases require Legislature to act
The Brown administration told a federal court Thursday night that to further reduce inmate prison population the Legislature would have to agree to dramatically restructure the laws governing California's corrections system. - Sacramento Bee

States Rush to Fix Capitol Buildings After Years of Decline
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin literally had a nose for news when she took a group of journalists on a tour of the state Capitol's basement "dungeon" in January. Gas from raw waste fouled the air, the result of collapsing sewer lines underneath the century-old building. But the nasty odor didn't bother a hairy-legged bug crawling out of its moldy, moist habitat to say hello. "Ooh, there's a big cockroach," Fallin said. - Stateline

New effort targets Pa.'s 'triple-dipping' state workers
Progress may have slowed on legislative efforts to put an end to a practice known as "triple dipping" -- although Pennsylvania lawmakers say they're determined to get a measure to the governor's desk soon.
- WHYY

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The State Worker: Committee calls hearing on CalPERS long-term care insurance
Don't be surprised if an Assembly hearing next Tuesday gets a tad heated. - The Sacramento Bee

Budget cuts squelch hiring
Hiring in the federal government has dropped by a third over the past three years as budget cuts have taken their toll.- Federal Times

Senate kills 'right to work' plan for Ohio
Just hours after two House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a three-part strategy to make Ohio a "right to work" state, GOP leadership in the Senate killed the idea.- Cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer

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Two hospital workers fired over 'dumping' of Nevada psychiatric patients
Nevada state officials said Monday that two employees at Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas have been fired and another three will be disciplined as a result of an internal investigation into the hospital's practice of busing mentally ill patients to other states.- Sacramento Bee

State must remove thousands at risk of valley fever at two prisons
The federal court official in charge of running healthcare for California's troubled prison system on Monday directed the state to immediately remove more than a third of the inmates at two state prisons because of the risk of valley fever.- Los Angeles Times

Lawmakers agree on pay raise for state workers
TALLAHASSEE -- For the first time in seven years, Florida lawmakers have agreed to give state employees automatic salary increases, ending a bleak stretch for a 160,000-member workforce that has weathered cutbacks, pay reductions and slashed benefits.- Miami Herald

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Blue Shield loses quasi-monopoly on CalPERS health insurance
In a bid to curb health care inflation, CalPERS is splitting up its multibillion-dollar HMO contract among five different companies. - The Sacramento Bee

Don't blame worker pensions on government financial failures: Editorial
Perhaps the most telling number in a recently released national survey about retirement is the one that describes how many Americans believe their elected officials in Washington, D.C. simply don't understand how difficult it is to save for the golden years. Eighty-seven percent. So it's no wonder Californians don't believe politicians in this state who continue to use the public employee pension system as a scapegoat for governments' financial woes.- Long Beach Press-Telegram

Lawmakers playing favorites when considering raises for state workers and teachers
TALLAHASSEE -- The past five years haven't been easy for state government workers and teachers.- Tampa Bay Times

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Senate Dems would strip officials of their pensions in corruption convictions
The Senate Democratic Conference unveiled its legislative ethics package Monday afternoon, designed to reform New York State government and fight the constant corruption issues facing the state. - LegislativeGazette.com

Jerry Brown to comply with prison order if appeals fail
SHENZHEN, China - Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday his administration will prepare to release as many as 10,000 state prisoners if the state is unable to get out from under a court order demanding it reduce California's prison population. - The Sacramento Bee

Gay rights activists seek more state worker protections at NC legislature's lobbying day
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Gay rights supporters in North Carolina fell short last year in stopping a constitutional amendment that made clear same-sex marriage and civil unions are unlawful in the state. Now they're lobbying again, this time to seek more protections for state workers. - The Republic

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San Jose public employees: Judge says city owes retired librarian $28,000 for unused sick leave
SAN JOSE -- San Jose owes a former employee more than $28,000 for unused sick leave under a judge's ruling that puts the city on the hook to pay millions of dollars to other retiring workers from the generous perk that it has tried to claw back. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Mary Arand's tentative ruling, dated Thursday, could influence other cases in California. Mercury News

Missouri workers could keep gun in locked cars
JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (AP) -- The Missouri House has advanced legislation guaranteeing state workers the right to keep firearms in their vehicles on state property when they're on the job. KRCG 13

PUC official in hot water for trying to secretly record meeting
A routine staff meeting at the state Capitol turned controversial last week when a California Public Utilities Commission official was caught trying to secretly record the conversation. Sacramento Bee

Daniel Borenstein: Stockton bankruptcy explores whether pension promises can be broken
A bankruptcy judge's ruling last week declaring the city of Stockton insolvent sets the stage for a possible legal showdown over whether financially destitute municipalities can alter employee pension benefits. Mercury News

State jobless agency changing how it handles claims
COLUMBIA -- South Carolina's jobless will now have to file claims online instead of having state workers take their applications at a workforce center, a move required by shrinking federal funding, officials announced this morning. GreenvilleOnline.com

The State Worker is back after a week off.

State auditor: California's net worth at negative $127.2 billion
Were California's state government a business, it would be a candidate for insolvency with a negative net worth of $127.2 billion, according to an annual financial report issued by State Auditor Elaine Howle and the Bureau of State Audits.

California Beaming
But there is something irrational, indeed unpatriotic, in rooting for California to fail, as so many conservatives are now doing. Sure, they are upset that the Republican Party is dead in this state -- R.I.P. G.O.P. And, among the fringes, there are those who cannot accept that California is a minority-majority state, with whites making up about 39 percent of the population. They've seen the future and don't like it one bit.

Legislature urges state worker raises; first time in 6 years
The Florida Senate and House rolled out their respective budget proposals on Friday. Both budgets are slightly bigger than Gov. Rick Scott's spending plan, and both differ from Scott's in one respect: Lawmakers want to give across the board pay raises to all state workers, while Scott favors bonuses to workers.

State audit faults Caltrans lapses
In an investigation released Thursday, the Bureau of State Audits sharply criticized the California Department of Transportation for numerous lapses in managing a unit that tests foundations of bridges and other freeway structures to verify their soundness and safety.

CalPERS Criminal Prosecutions Needed To End Public Pension Fraud
Yesterday a federal grand jury indicted two former top officials of CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund on fraud, conspiracy and obstruction charges. Three years after the "pay-to-play" influence peddling scandal surfaced at the $225 billion fund, the Department of Justice may be poised to investigate and prosecute public pension corruption nationally. Take my word for it, there's enough public pension corruption across the country to keep DOJ busy for decades. Forbes

Pensions part of system that actually works right
We elect our state legislators with the hope that they will look out for the public. So it always is sort of a shock when legislators work to undermine government services which work best for people. Heraldnet

Dan Walters: California Legislature 'solving' problems it created
The 2013 session of the California Legislature is nearly four months old, having begun in early December, and lawmakers have done little to earn their salaries and living expense checks. Sacramento Bee

Gov. Jerry Brown takes notice of realignment complaints
As lawmakers stepped up pressure to modify California's historic prison realignment - most recently at a news conference Tuesday featuring a crime victim in a wheelchair - Gov. Jerry Brown is taking notice. Sacramento Bee

Post-crisis reforms sustainable?
A nationwide study, including CalPERS and CalSTRS, projects that huge pension fund losses during the financial crisis will be offset over three decades by a wave of recently enacted cost-cutting reforms -- but only if several things happen. Public CEO

Oklahoma firefighters rally against consolidating state pension boards
About 400 firefighters showed up outside the Oklahoma Capitol to oppose a plan to consolidate state pension boards. The plan has the support of the governor and state treasurer. The Oklahoman

The Roundup: March trial looms in Stockton pension dispute; ME struggles to recruit; OR union wants more pay and...

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Wed, Feb 27 2013 06:33:01

The Roundup: CalPERS' unfunded liability; WI includes smokers' fee; New York state worker chastised for talking

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Tue, Feb 26 2013 07:01:23

The Roundup: CalPERS' looming long-term care hike; AFSCME in IL talks strike; WA considers truth-telling law

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Wed, Feb 20 2013 06:08:30

The Roundup: Dual-wage state doctors; inmate lawsuits; VA limits part-time hours

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Tue, Feb 12 2013 06:30:34

The Roundup: Caltrans acknowledges testing flaws; lessons from Knox v. SEIU; states' pay and benefits

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Fri, Feb 08 2013 07:26:00

The Roundup: CA budget games; states consider, reject employee raises; 'death spiral states'

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Wed, Feb 06 2013 08:09:56

The Roundup: The tangled chain of command; anti-union battles heat up; why democracy needs unions

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Thu, Jan 31 2013 06:08:04

The Roundup: CA state workers with two state jobs; FL spiritual leaders back state pay raises; PA looks at...

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Wed, Jan 30 2013 08:12:58

The Roundup: California pension pressure; states' anti-union movements; federal job cuts

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Mon, Jan 28 2013 06:48:01

The Roundup: Raley's strike leader named to CalPERS board; CA legislators will look at CalPERS pay program

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Fri, Jan 18 2013 10:00:00

The Roundup: CalPERS' rebound; Jerry Brown pressures colleges; SC tells workers to stay home

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Tue, Jan 15 2013 06:33:18

The Roundup: CA asks court to rethink prison overcrowding order; another CA computer snafu; FL governor giveth and...

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Tue, Jan 08 2013 05:59:00

This is the first in a series of posts counting down the most-read State Worker blog items of 2012 -- with a little hindsight twist.

When the state auditor reported that a Department of Education employee had posted 4,900 sacbee.com comments on his work time, our post about it drew enough attention to earn it 10th place in our countdown of this year's most-viewed State Worker blog items.

While the unnamed state worker's comment tally was astounding, Bee managing editor Tom Negrete to put the number in perspective for media blogger Jim Romenesko.

"As commenters go, he would not make our top 20 commenters, who each average 1,000 comments a month or more. We've spoken to most of those on the top 20 list, and they are mostly retired folks." Negrete said. "... so impressive to have a day job and still post about 600 comments a month."

Here's the Dec. 11 item: California state employee posts nearly 5,000 online comments from work

The Roundup: Wall Street firms fined; how labor beat Prop. 32; Maine workplace settlements cost $2 million

Storified by Jon Ortiz· Thu, Dec 27 2012 09:48:55

The Roundup: CalPERS v. San Bernardino; most MI state workers exempt from new anti-union law; NV governor sidesteps...

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Sun, Dec 16 2012 11:48:37

The Roundup: CalPERS hangs out 'help wanted' sign; Bloomberg series highlights California state wages; feds consider...

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Dec 13 2012 07:14:15

The Roundup: CA lawmakers' pay cut; CalPERS news; pension funds profit from privatization; IL governor axes AFSCME...

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Nov 21 2012 08:00:03

Th Roundup: CA prison nurses investigated; newspaper calls for WI pay raise; IL lawmakers against pay hikes

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Nov 19 2012 09:37:37

The Roundup: Jerry Brown's unfinished business; CA lawmakers take their leave; VA's state worker loan program

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Nov 15 2012 00:22:48

The Roundup: Jerry Brown's new challenge; Caltrans worker's killer faces death; big wins for unions

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Nov 09 2012 05:54:41

The Roundup: How Prop. 32 helped Prop. 30; $5 trillion public pension debt; Mich. union initiative loses

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Nov 08 2012 08:29:24

ELECTION 2012
• Vote results: Customize your races
• Sacbee.com's Election Central: News, photos, video
• Voter Guide: Candidates, issues
• California propositions
• Sacramento Bee endorsements
• Live today: Tell us if you voted. Report what's going on at your polling place, in your neighborhood, at your workplace. Share a photo: email breakingnews@sacbee.com

The Roundup: Caltrans worker's alleged killer: 'I did it'; FL axes prison health jobs; Canada considers pension...

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Tue, Nov 06 2012 06:16:00

The Roundup: Mystery campaign money to be revealed; state workers battle outbreak; IA workers' pay

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Nov 05 2012 08:53:03

The Roundup: Prop. 30 could pass; union perception versus reality; CA's prison guard beard ban

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Nov 01 2012 08:04:54

The Roundup: CSU grades legislators; states cut health insurances costs; IL to vote on pensions

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Tue, Oct 30 2012 08:59:07

This report from CBS2 in Los Angeles includes surveillance of Caltrans employees using department rental trucks for commuting and personal business during work hours, including one worker who made trips to buy liquor. Watch for a heated confrontation between Gov. Jerry Brown and CBS reporter David Goldstein.

Editor's note, 5:02 p.m.: Brown said that Goldstein confronted him after a funeral for former Lt. Gov. Mervyn Dymally. Read more about Brown's reaction to the CBS 2 story on Capitol Alert.

The Roundup: Charles Munger contributes $13 million; CalPERS v. San Bernardino; California to take back prison...

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Oct 26 2012 09:24:49

The Roundup: Mystery AZ money; judge rejects police chief's double pension bid; OK considers performance-based raises

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Oct 24 2012 07:16:42

The Roundup: CA legislative staffers' side jobs; CalPERS' computer system

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Sun, Oct 21 2012 10:16:48

The Roundup: California proposition tactics; CalPERS boosts long-term care rates; state pay costs rise

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Oct 18 2012 08:05:53

The Roundup: Yes versus No on Prop. 30; LA workers can't display political signs; OR 'Furlough Fridays'

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Tue, Oct 16 2012 07:12:47

The Roundup: Cellphone smuggling; the Koch brothers; CalPERS versus Rupert Murdoch;

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Sun, Oct 14 2012 19:18:02

The Roundup: Molly Munger vs. Jerry Brown; CalPERS' new investment; why public unions rarely strike

At look at California and national news about state workers.

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Oct 12 2012 07:12:04

The Roundup: Unions adjust to 'paycheck' laws; Oregon state pay study; Sandusky's pension;

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Oct 11 2012 08:23:23

Twitter debate pits Republican strategist vs. journalist, campaigns weigh in

Political arguments break out on Twitter all the time. On Tuesday, Proposition 32 was a hot topic. Here are some bits of the debate.

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Oct 10 2012 12:00:59

The Roundup: WI measure protects unions; Chicago teachers OK pact; NV backs away from restoring state pay

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Oct 08 2012 08:45:22

The Roundup: Mich. judge overturns pension law; two takes on state workers' pay; Arnold Schwarzenegger's return;

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Oct 01 2012 08:18:46

The Roundup: Another pay study; CA's retirement plan-for-all; government jobs not part of recovery

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Sep 26 2012 08:06:31

The Roundup: Proposition 32; CalPERS cuts bonuses; Texas man threatens state workers

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Sep 24 2012 08:20:43

The Roundup: The 'stealth attack' on unions; AZ workers trade protections for pay raise, LA sheds state jobs

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Sep 19 2012 08:10:36

The Roundup: Why Proposition 32 impacts unions; Chicago teachers strike; CA pension reform's long tail

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Sep 17 2012 08:10:00

The Roundup: Labor's fights with Democrats; CalPERS axes investment firm; reactions to CA pension reform

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Sep 13 2012 06:16:51

The Roundup: Bankruptcy law versus pension law; OR hires more temps; NY retiree health costs

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Sep 10 2012 10:18:27

The Roundup: CA local governments and pension reform; travel bans; TX study defends pensions

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Sep 07 2012 01:04:36

The Roundup: CA union clout; AZ workers' pay raise deadline; MI 'bureaucracy busters'

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Sep 05 2012 09:01:40

The Roundup: California pension bill's loophole; death row inmate assaults officers; pensions and taxes

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Aug 31 2012 05:34:01

The Roundup: California pension reform

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Aug 30 2012 06:50:37

The Roundup: Inside The Bee's CA parks reporting; FL could change leave cash outs; MI to lay off unemployment workers

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Sun, Aug 26 2012 09:51:26

The Roundup: Pension fight goes to courts; LA agents caught shaving work time; benefits fights in AZ and IL

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Aug 23 2012 07:13:37

The Roundup: More about CA parks scandal; Prop 32 a 'fraud'; attack alters Napa alarm policy

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Tue, Aug 21 2012 06:49:40

The Roundup: Lawmaker gift bill dies; pension funds shift strategy; MN workers lose benefits

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Aug 17 2012 06:47:48

The Roundup: Jerry Brown and unions; VA workers get bonus; state workers boo IL governor off stage

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Aug 16 2012 06:49:54

Many states, including California, may have more legal wiggle room to alter retirement promises for current employees than commonly thought, according to a new survey of state and local pensions by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Researchers Alicia H. Munnell and Laura Quinby conclude that "the protection accorded pension benefits is less embedded in state constitutions and more open to interpretation than commonly perceived." If state courts and legislatures narrow "the current definition of the employer-employee contract to establish that the contract is created when the employee performs the service," then it would become possible to reduce retirement benefits for current workers prospectively, the authors conclude.

Munnell and Quinby say only three states - Alaska, Illnois and New York - have constitutions that clearly protect public pensions for current workers both retrospectively and prospectively. Arizona's constitution protects pensions "past and maybe future," while those in Hawaii, Louisiana and Mississippi protect only benefits that have been accrued.

California and most states consider pensions legal contracts protected from any laws that impair them. When the contract is considered to take effect is key. Conventional wisdom says that pension contracts in California and other states take effect from the first day of employment.

Munnell said in a recent interview with Pensions & Investments that she expects more states will attempt to redefine their pension obligations once courts rule on recent laws that did so in Rhode Island and New Jersey.

For the vast majority of states, however, changing future benefits for current employees is extremely difficult ...

In the end, however, the ability to modify pensions in these states hinges on when the contract is deemed to exist. States where the contract is found to exist at the time a worker is hired have little freedom to change benefits. States where the contract is found to exist at retirement have considerably more flexibility.

Each state would have to define that for itself, the authors conclude, through both the courts and their legislatures.

Pensions & Investments reports that Munnell thinks more states will move to alter pension benefits for current workers if the courts uphold changes to current employees' pensions enacted in New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Legal Constraints on Changes in State and Local Pensions

The Roundup: Business interests and Proposition 32; keeping pension promises; CA inmate population decline slows

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Aug 13 2012 01:33:44

The Roundup: Parks official's troubled past; OT in Texas; Madoff-style pension investment promises

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Sun, Aug 12 2012 07:04:39

The Roundup: CA lawmakers blast parks officials; pension funds + Wall Street fees = waste

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Fri, Aug 10 2012 06:33:55

The Roundup: CalPERS pushes back; prefunding benefits; IL police investigate prison information leaks

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Wed, Aug 08 2012 06:38:28

With pensions in the news, we turn to Storify to sum things up.

From Bee Capitol Bureau colleague Jim Sanders' report this morning:

One week after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed slicing state workers' pay by 5 percent, the Democratic governor and legislators find themselves targeted for a "share the pain" salary cut.

Members of California's Citizens Compensation Commission said Monday that a pay-cut proposal for statewide officeholders will be on the table when the panel meets May 31.

Click here to read the entire story, which includes lawmakers' reactions to the idea.

We can never get everything we learn into a news story. "From the notebook" posts give you some of the extra details behind the news. (Editor's note, 9:45 a.m.: This post now includes a direct link to the Working 4 Utah audit.)

With Gov. Jerry Brown proposing a four-day workweek for California state workers, our A1 story in today's Bee looks at what happened when Utah became the first state in the nation to try it.

Of course, a significant difference is that Utah didn't cut employee hours. Brown's plan is a 2-hours-per-week furlough.

Two years ago, the Beehive State's legislative auditor general looked at the program's strengths and weaknesses. What follows is the report on the program former GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman launched in 2008. If you can't access the embedded document, click here to download the PDF.
A Performance Audit of the Working 4 Utah Initiative

AM Reading:

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Storified by Jon Ortiz · Mon, Apr 30 2012 09:43:59

CA's tough guv; ME contracting dispute; SC pay raise debate

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Storified by Jon Ortiz · Thu, Apr 12 2012 03:24:17

Your morning roundup of civil service news from California and the nation

Storified by Jon Ortiz · Sat, Apr 07 2012 09:51:17

Are state workers dragging down state budgets around the nation? Or have public employees and their compensation packages become convenient political scapegoats?

A year ago the PBS news show "Need to Know" took on what it calls "one of the most contentious arguments in the news today." We ran across the report this morning while surveying state worker news. Although the item ran on March 11, 2011, the topic remains relevant today.

Watch Union Salaries and State Budgets on PBS. See more from Need to Know.

California legislative Democrats balk at Jerry Brown's budget cuts
In a show of good faith one year ago, legislative Democrats slashed Medi-Cal, cut universities and reduced welfare grants to slice the state deficit 13 weeks before the constitutional deadline. But this year Democrats are refusing to go along with Gov. Jerry Brown's most controversial reductions, spurning his demand to have cuts in place by March. (Sacramento Bee)

CA: AM Alert: Shack up with a student, lose your pension
Republican Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen of Modesto will introduce her own pension legislation today with a bill aimed at cracking down on student-teacher relationships. Assembly Bill 1861 would eliminate pension and retiree benefits for teachers who have an inappropriate relationship with a student at the same school - even if the student is an adult. (Sacramento Bee)

Op-ed: Sam Blakeslee: Republicans back Jerry Brown's pension reforms; where are the Democrats?
There is a saying in the sales industry, "When you get a 'yes,' stop talking and take the order." Democrats in the state Legislature would do well to follow that axiom. (Mercury News)

US: States From Ohio to Florida Weigh Running Company Funds
Six U.S. states, led by Massachusetts and California, are taking steps to put public pension overseers in charge of retirement savings plans offered to nongovernment workers, according to an advocate of the idea. (Bloomberg)

The State Worker: Personnel case takes on how the state handles hiring
In 2007, James Ward sold his San Diego-area dental practice and moved to Blythe, the remote desert town between Los Angeles and Phoenix. The reason for the dramatic switch: a job he took at Ironwood State Prison. (Sacramento Bee)

Jerry Brown changes his tax plan to address concerns of liberal allies
After a months-long feud with his most liberal allies, Gov. Jerry Brown compromised Wednesday to eliminate a rival tax initiative for the November ballot. (Sacramento Bee)

Skelton: Acrobat Brown does a flip on tax hike measure
Back in the day, when Gov. Jerry Brown would dazzle us with a flip-flop, he'd land on his feet spouting philosophy. (Los Angeles Times)

CalPERS cuts investment forecast by quarter-point
CalPERS is forcing state and local governments to pay more to support the giant pension fund - but will let them ease into it. The fund's governing board Wednesday approved a quarter-point drop in CalPERS' investment forecast, to 7.5 percent. (Sacramento Bee)

CA: Teach a high school class, date a student - lose your pension?
Angered by a 41-year-old Modesto teacher who moved in with an 18-year-old student, a California lawmaker is crafting legislation that would strip teachers of their retirement benefits in such cases. (Sacramento Bee)

CalPERS OKs reduction in investment forecast, costing state extra $167 million per year
CalPERS gave final approval today to a quarter-point reduction in its investment forecast, but will look at softening the fiscal impact on government budgets. (Sacramento Bee)

VT:Retirement Program Proposed For State Hospital Employees
The Shumlin administration and the union representing Vermont state workers are in talks about a possible retirement incentive program for workers at the now-closed Vermont State Hospital. (Vermont Public Radio)

CA: Dan Walters: Two tales of pension accounting
Major corporations that still maintain traditional defined-benefit pension plans are asking Congress to lower their pension trust fund contributions because, they say, extraordinarily low interest rates force them to sock away too much. (Sacramento Bee)

RI: RI bill would let state workers hold public office
A bill winding its way through the Rhode Island legislature would end a 73-year-old ban on state employees running for public office or serving on a state employee grievances board. (AP / Boston Globe)

CA: Past pension boosts deferred costs
The recent loss of tens of billions of dollars from California's public pension funds may have raised awareness about the high cost of guaranteed benefits for public workers, but reform advocates say the unsustainable system has been years - or even decades - in the making. (AP / Sacramento Bee)

California's ca.gov website has received an "A-" grade from Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit that promotes government transparency.

The state's Internet portal was one of 214 government websites to receive an "A-" or better, the standard for receiving a 2012 Sunny Awards.

The judges graded 6,000 government sites against a checklist for information such as budgets, meetings, lobbying, financial audits, contracts, academic performance, public records and taxes. The panel considered websites for states, cities, counties and school districts.

California's was one of 10 state government websites to receive recognition. The others: Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington and West Virginia.

A total of nine state and local government websites from California made the Sunny list. Florida government sites garnered the most awards with 28, followed by Texas (21), Illinois (19), Virginia (14), Ohio and Pennsylvania (10 each).

Click here for the Sunshine Reviews' take on California's state website. This link opens an announcement that includes a sortable list of all 214 award-winning websites.

CA: Staff cuts planned at Napa State Hospital
The California Department of Mental Health has notified dozens of Napa State Hospital employees they may be laid off later this year, according to union representatives. (Napa Valley Register)

CA: Will state agencies derail local pension reforms?
While unions oppose key parts of Gov. Brown's 12-point pension reform plan in the Legislature, local officials say union allies are using state agencies to try to derail or undermine local pension reforms on the June ballot in San Jose and San Diego. (Calpensions)

CA: Workers' comp fraud case based on sex-club shooting goes to jury
Jurors began deliberations Wednesday in the workers' comp fraud conspiracy case against a state correctional officer and his wife over his shooting at a San Francisco sex club that he claimed was job-related. (Sacramento Bee)

Calif. city seeks to escape soaring pension costs (CBS News)

State lawmakers order San Jose pension audit
The state will audit San Jose's finances amid employee unions' accusations that city officials overstated the cost of the pension system to build support for a June ballot measure reducing retirement benefits. (Mercury News)

CalPERS urged to cut its annual profit forecast
CalPERS is considering making a significant cut in its investment forecast next week, which would likely force the state and local governments to increase their annual contributions to the big pension funds. (Sacramento Bee)

The State Worker: Messy rollout continues for CalPERS computer system
Well, here's another CalPERS computer gaffe story. (Sacramento Bee)

CA: Fewer California state workers took pensions in 2011
Fewer state employees took their pensions in 2011, reversing a four-year trend that had seen more workers going into retirement. (Sacramento Bee)

CA: Viewpoints: Let's base public pension debate on facts, not made-up numbers
It would be nice to separate the wheat from the chaff in the debate over how to restructure public pensions. It is important to eliminate abuses and ensure that public pensions are fair to retirees and affordable to taxpayers. But it is equally important to key the debate on real facts and figures that accurately portray the public costs. (Sacramento Bee)

CA: Teachers union leads in record year of lobbying lawmakers
State Assemblyman Warren Furutani looked out over a sea of red -- protesting oil industry workers wearing scarlet T-shirts -- and saw trouble for his plan to raise $2.5 billion for universities with a tax on crude. Click here for chart. (Los Angeles Times)

CA: State government contracting debate back at California's Capitol
The debate over whether government runs best with civil service workers or privately contracted help is re-igniting in the Capitol over legislation that, among other things, would give state workers first dibs whenever the state has work to do. (Sacramento Bee)

A Labor Force Faces the Ultimate in Downsizing: Herbert Jenkins Heads Detroit Union With a Single Member--Him
To dig out of a fiscal mess, the city of Detroit has reached tentative labor deals with the leadership of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the United Auto Workers and International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Then it had to win over Herbert Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins is president of the Assistant Supervisors of Street Maintenance and Construction Association, the union representing the leaders of Detroit's pothole-repair crews. He also is the only member of that collective-bargaining unit. (Wall Street Journal)

CA: Salary 'spiking' drains public pension funds, analysis finds
Approaching retirement, Ventura County Chief Executive Marty Robinson was earning $228,000 a year. To boost her pension, which would be based on her final salary, Robinson cashed out nearly $34,000 in unused vacation pay, an $11,000 bonus for having earned a graduate degree and more than $24,000 in extra pension benefits the county owed her. By the time she walked out the door last year, her pension was calculated at $272,000 a year -- for life. (Los Angeles Times)