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WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Illinois Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments On Pension Law

State of Illinois

It's been more than a year since Illinois passed a major overhaul of government-employee pensions. Today, the law goes before the state Supreme Court. 

The law being challenged does away with retirees' compounded cost-of-living raises and increases the retirement age for younger workers. It also gives employees a small break on how much of their paycheck automatically goes toward their future pension.

Back when he signed it in 2013, then-Gov. Pat Quinn called the reform a bipartisan victory.

"Everyday people, I think, will benefit from this reform," Quinn said.

But unions say it breaks a constitutionally protected contract that a retiree’s benefit cannot be diminished or impaired. A Sangamon County judge agreed, despite the state's argument that it can use "police powers" in emergencies, such as the strain in the state’s budget, to modify the contract.

“So if they find it constitutional, there’s a lot of savings,” Senate president John Cullerton said. “If they find it unconstitutional, hopefully they will tell us what’s wrong, why it’s unconstitutional which would inform us as to how we can perhaps find a bill which is constitutional.”

Illinois has a pension debt of more than $100 billion.

Editor’s Note: Tony Arnold and Amanda Vinicky contributed to this story.

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