Pensions

• Illinois Gov. Quinn Calls Special Session on Pensions
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Illinois   |   July 31, 2012
• Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn issued a proclamation summoning the General Assembly back to Springfield on Aug. 17.

• Social Media and Public Finance: The Odd Couple
• BY: Paul W. Taylor   |   August 2012
• Public finance departments are significantly less likely than government in general to use social media or see its value in engaging with constituents. It might be time for this to change.
• 1 Comments

• Hybrid Pension Plans Attracting More States, Cities
• BY: Carol Anderson   |   August 2012
• Unable to continue making payments on traditional retirement benefits, officials are trading in the old model and looking for a more efficient option.
• 3 Comments

• 4 Health and Human Services Officials Worth Watching
• BY: Jonathan Walters   |   August 2012
• Administering services to vulnerable populations is hard work. But tough public-sector jobs have a way of attracting top talent.

• New Jersey Legislature Puts Judges' Benefit Contributions on Ballot
• Source: Philadelphia Inquirer   |   New Jersey   |   July 31, 2012
• New Jersey voters will decide in November whether judges should contribute more toward their pensions and benefits, after after the Supreme Court ruled last week that a 2011 law to increase public employee contributions to pensions and health benefits cannot apply to any sitting judge.

• Ex-Texas Lawmaker to Lead Health Agency
• Source: Houston Chronicle   |   Texas   |   July 31, 2012
• Gov. Rick Perry appointed Dr. Kyle Janek, an Austin anesthesiologist and former state legislator, as executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to replace retiring Commissioner Toms Suehs.

• New York City Mayor Picks New Press Aide
• Source: New York Times   |   New York City   |   July 31, 2012
• Marc La Vorgna, 33, will take over as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s press secretary next month, after Stu Loeser leaves the position, which he has held since January 2006.
• 1 Comments

• Voter Support for Police, Firefighters Wanes
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   July 30, 2012
• Traditionally, U.S. voters have backed generous pay and benefits for the cops and firefighters willing to risk their lives to keep citizens safe. But as economic conditions have worsened and many local governments have run into severe fiscal problems, that attitude has started to change.
• 7 Comments

• States Look to De-Emphasize Testing in Teacher Licensing Laws
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   July 30, 2012
• New York and up to 25 other states are moving toward changing the way they grant licenses to teachers, de-emphasizing tests and written essays in favor of a more demanding approach that requires aspiring teachers to prove themselves through lesson plans, homework assignments and videotaped instruction sessions.

• Public Employee Retirements in New Jersey Slowing Down
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   July 30, 2012
• After two years in which teachers, cops, firefighters and other public workers headed for the exits in record numbers as Trenton took aim at their pensions and benefits, the pace of retirements has slowed drastically, the latest records show.
• 1 Comments

• 9 States Address Military Spouses' Unemployment
• BY: Stateline   |   North Carolina   |   July 25, 2012
• Governor Bev Perdue signed legislation aimed at helping military spouses land jobs after they arrive at military bases, making North Carolina the ninth state this year to enact a law addressing the issue.
• 3 Comments

• Chicago Hires 477 More Teachers for Longer School Day
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Chicago   |   July 25, 2012
• Chicago Public Schools has agreed to hire nearly 500 teachers so students can put in a longer school day without extending the workday for most teachers.

• New Jersey Supreme Court: Judges Exempt from Pension, Benefits Cuts
• Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   July 25, 2012
• Incensed over a Supreme Court ruling declaring increased pension and health benefits contributions for certain judges unconstitutional, lawmakers said they’ll seek to change the state Constitution to force the hikes.
• 4 Comments

• Big School Districts Have Fewer Students, Forcing Layoffs
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   July 24, 2012
• Enrollment in nearly half of the nation’s largest school districts has dropped steadily over the last five years, triggering school closings that have destabilized neighborhoods, caused layoffs of essential staff and concerns in many cities that the students who remain are some of the neediest and most difficult to educate.

• New Mexico Must Remove Public Workers' Names from Online Salary Listings
• BY: McClatchy News   |   New Mexico   |   July 24, 2012
• The ruling is a victory for the public employee union that challenged the practice.
• 4 Comments