Illinoisans continue to struggle along in the state with the “worst in the nation“ public pension system. Now, the cries for reform are louder than ever as the deficit continues to snowball.
WNIJ's Susan Stephens and Rockford Register Star Political Editor Chuck Sweeny sat down with self-described numbers guy State Senator Dave Syverson and Northern Illinois University Vice President Steve Cunningham, who developed the pension reform proposal that serves as the planning basis for current negotiations.
The discussion covers the history of Illinois' $100 billion pension deficit, the proposal that may resolve the impasse, and what a solution will mean to citizens of Illinois who are not employees of the state or eligible for one of the five state pension systems.
This is the first in a series of collaborations between WNIJ and the Register Star to provide fresh discussions with area newsmakers about a variety of issues and activities in our community.
The pilot offers in-depth information on the pension situation. Issues on the table for future discussions include economic development, education, and transportation.
We'd like to hear your suggestions for topics as well. Please submit them to Managing Editor Victor Yehling at vyehling@niu.edu or call him at Northern Public Radio, (815) 753-0415.