• Nashville Cuts Pensions for Future Employees
• Source: Tennessean   |   Nashville, Tenn.   |   October 3, 2012
• The changes include raising the service requirement for vesting in the pension system and retiree health insurance program from five years to 10 and reducing the amount that Metro contributes in medical care premiums.

• Without Reform, Illinois Will Pay $1.5B a Year to Fix Pensions
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   October 2, 2012
• Absent significant pension system reforms, it would cost the city an extra $1.5 billion a year beginning in 2016 to start the process of restoring financial health to its pension funds.
• 2 Comments

• What Will Government Look Like in 2037?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   October 2012
• This month marks Governing’s 25th anniversary, so we asked leaders for their predictions on how government will have changed 25 years from now.
• 7 Comments

• GOP Study Warns Against Federal Bailout of State Pensions
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   September 27, 2012
• State and local governments facing pension liabilities that already total in the trillions of dollars will be forced to seek bailouts from the U.S. government, Republican Party Congressional staffers said in a study, as they warned that such bailouts could have dire consequences.

• Teacher Pensions to Cost Illinois $670M More for Next Budget
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   September 24, 2012
• New figures boost need to approve overhaul, says an aide to Gov. Pat Quinn.

• Public Officials Convene at Cost of Government Summit
• BY: News Staff   |   Washington, D.C.   |   September 21, 2012
• State and local government officials from around the country met in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss how we can afford the government we need.

• Wisconsin Unions Want New Contracts in Wake of Collective Bargaining Ruling
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   September 21, 2012
• A union that represented about 100,000 employees in Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Public Schools, the City of Milwaukee and other municipalities sent letters requesting negotiations on new contracts, based on last week's court ruling striking down parts of the state's bargaining law for public workers.

• Phoenix Pension Plan Could Save $600M
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Phoenix, Ariz.   |   September 21, 2012
• Phoenix has unveiled a plan to reform its ailing pension system that would require new employees to contribute more and work longer, potentially saving taxpayers $600 million over 25 years.

• Wisconsin Collective Bargaining Law Struck Down
• Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   |   Wisconsin   |   September 17, 2012
• A Dane County judge's ruling striking down many limits on collective bargaining for public workers will likely be appealed quickly and could go straight to a showdown on a divided, but often conservative-leaning state Supreme Court.

• Wyoming's Retiree Rehire Policy Rankles Some Public Workers
• Source: Casper Star-Tribune   |   Wyoming   |   September 17, 2012
• Only three retirement groups are eligible for rehire after retirement — the big public plan that includes state government employees and the plans for law enforcement officers and Wyoming Air National Guard firefighters.

• Pension Reform Gets Final OK in Ohio
• Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer   |   Ohio   |   September 14, 2012
• Beginning in January, many Ohio public workers will face increased pension contribution rates and higher retirement-age requirements.

• California Bill to Trim Pension Costs Becomes Law
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   September 13, 2012
• The new law signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown increases the retirement age for new hires, caps benefits and requires employee contributions.
• 2 Comments

• Miami Strikes Deal Giving Police Raises, City Savings
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Miami   |   September 12, 2012
• A tentative contract agreement reached with Miami’s police union would generate $11.5 million in savings for the cash-strapped city, and signals an important step forward in Miami’s quest to balance its budget by the end of the month.

• Chicago Teachers Strike for 1st Time in 25 Years
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Chicago   |   September 10, 2012
• After an all-day negotiating session Sunday, the city and its teachers union failed to reach an agreement to prevent a strike. Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said the two sides are close on teacher compensation but the union has serious concerns about the cost of health benefits, the makeup of the teacher evaluation system and job security.
• 2 Comments

• Small Indiana Pension Fund Goes Up Against Wal-Mart
• Source: Indianapolis Star   |   Indiana   |   September 10, 2012
• The Indiana Electrical Workers Pension Trust Fund IBEW has emerged as a lead plaintiff among investors who believe Wal-Mart's officers and directors breached their fiduciary duty to shareholders by stifling an internal company probe of the alleged bribery operation.