Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Legislative Retirement Benefits Provision Addressed
KENTUCKY...
With the Republicans holding a 20-17 edge in the Kentucky Senate,a panel narrowly approved a bill Wednesday that would cancel a benefit that allows state lawmakers to pad their legislative pensions if they take a full-time state job. The provision in the legislative retirement system has been wielded as a political weapon in recent months by Gov. Steve Beshear. Senate Bill 51, sponsored by newly-elected Republican state Sen. Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon, would cancel a 2005 provision that allows annual retirement benefits to increase up to sixfold for part-time lawmakers who accept appointments to a judicial or executive branch job. The proposed change would only affect future retirees. Higdon told the Senate State and Local Government Committee that it would be unfair to change the benefits of those legislators who are already drawing benefits from the 2005 law.
With the Republicans holding a 20-17 edge in the Kentucky Senate,a panel narrowly approved a bill Wednesday that would cancel a benefit that allows state lawmakers to pad their legislative pensions if they take a full-time state job. The provision in the legislative retirement system has been wielded as a political weapon in recent months by Gov. Steve Beshear. Senate Bill 51, sponsored by newly-elected Republican state Sen. Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon, would cancel a 2005 provision that allows annual retirement benefits to increase up to sixfold for part-time lawmakers who accept appointments to a judicial or executive branch job. The proposed change would only affect future retirees. Higdon told the Senate State and Local Government Committee that it would be unfair to change the benefits of those legislators who are already drawing benefits from the 2005 law.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 1:59 PM 
