Assembly Committee Will Not Act on GOP Pension Reform Bills
The Assembly pension committee will not act on a group of GOP bills adopted from Gov. Jerry Brown's pension reform plan, according to a recent letter from committee chair Warren Furutani (D-Lakewood), the Sacramento Bee's "The State Worker" reports (Ortiz, "The State Worker," Sacramento Bee, 4/24).
Background
In February, Brown released a 12-point pension reform plan that would end traditional pensions for state and local government workers hired after June 2013. The plan includes statutory language on health benefits available to retired state workers.
The proposal would implement "hybrid" plans that combine typical payouts with a 401(k)-style component for workers hired July 1, 2013, or later.
Democrats have said they are not willing to accept Brown's pension reform plan as it stands. However, Republicans support the plan and in February introduced a series of bills that closely match it (California Healthline, 4/12).
Consideration of Pension Bills
In the April 18 letter to Assembly member Cameron Smythe (R-Santa Clara), Furutani wrote, "I believe it is appropriate ... to limit the bills considered this year in the policy committees to those that are not within the purview" of the Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions.
Furutani also is the co-chair of the conference committee, which is working on public pension reform and could consider the GOP bills.
Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) has said that the Legislature will pass a comprehensive pension reform plan this year ("The State Worker," Sacramento Bee, 4/24).
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