• S&P: Christie's Budget for New Jersey Relies on Uncertain Revenues
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   New Jersey   |   March 15, 2013
• A major ratings agency cast doubt over New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed 2014 budget this week, saying that the Republican’s forecasts were too ambitious and relied on “new and untested revenues” to balance the ledger.

• California Unions File Lawsuits over Pension Reforms
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   March 11, 2013
• The overhaul raised the retirement age and lowered the benefits for public employees hired as of Jan. 1 of this year. It also changed the way pensions are calculated, which slices into benefits for workers who were on the job before then.
• 3 Comments

• SEC Charges Illinois with Securities Fraud
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   Illinois   |   March 11, 2013
• Illinois is only the second state to ever be accused of securities fraud. According to the SEC, the state misled investors about its underfunded pension system.
• 5 Comments

• 4 Myths About Public Pension Retirees
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   March 8, 2013
• As pension reform debates continue, retiree advocates offer up a few common misconceptions about pensioners.
• 62 Comments

• Labor Strike in Illinois State Government Avoided
• BY: Stateline   |   Illinois   |   March 4, 2013
• A dramatic standoff between Illinois’ largest state-employee union and Democratic Governor Pat Quinn ended last Thursday morning with a tentative contract agreement after more than 15 months of negotiations.

• New Rules Could Clear the Path to Pension Reform
• BY: Charles Chieppo   |   March 2013
• For most states, the new government accountability rules eliminate the main substantive barrier to moving toward less costly defined-contribution plans.
• 2 Comments

• The 'B' Word: Is Municipal Bankruptcy's Stigma Fading?
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   March 2013
• There's a growing sense among some leaders that municipal bankruptcy -- unthinkable just a few years ago -- may be a valuable tool.
• 5 Comments

• Pennsylvania Governor's Pension Proposal Faces Challenges
• Source: AP/Philadelphia Inquirer   |   Pennsylvania   |   February 28, 2013
• The Republican governor's proposal to reduce benefits for current employees is the centerpiece of his initiative. But it faces an uphill fight in the legislature and possibly in the courts.

• Public Debt and the Quest for Efficiency
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   February 20, 2013
• All government debt is not the same. Pension debt starves government of the people and tools it needs, but creative borrowing for infrastructure can save more money than it costs.
• 8 Comments

• Solving a Piece of the OPEB Puzzle
• BY: Charles Chieppo   |   February 13, 2013
• A Massachusetts city's approach to cutting the cost of retiree health care might be a way for other jurisdictions to grapple with the problem.
• 1 Comments

• Early Retirement Incentives Making a Comeback
• BY: Heather Kerrigan   |   February 13, 2013
• Several municipalities offered early retirement incentives to public workers last year. What impact such incentives have on budgets and services, however, is up for debate.
• 6 Comments

• The Politics of Wisconsin's Declining Union Membership
• Source: Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel   |   Wisconsin   |   February 12, 2013
• In Wisconsin, membership in public-sector unions plummeted in the aftermath of the hugely controversial Republican measure that wiped out most collective bargaining for public employees and made it far harder for their unions to operate.

• Bill to Switch Pensions to (401)k Plans Advances in Florida
• Source: Tampa Bay Times   |   Florida   |   February 8, 2013
• A bill placing all new state employees in a 401(k)-style retirement plan passed a House subcommittee on a party-line vote, setting up a major showdown between legislative Republicans and public workers' unions.

• Kentucky's Outlook Downgraded
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   February 1, 2013
• Kentucky’s finances received a blow late Thursday after Standard & Poor’s rating service downgraded the commonwealth’s outlook to negative from stable.

• Fat Cat Public Retirees? Think Again.
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   January 30, 2013
• Some say one of the biggest misconceptions about public retirees is that pensions are making people rich.
• 56 Comments