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A few ‘bad actors’ cost all police officers, firefighters and teachers big time
State government in Arizona in the past three years has made massive cuts to education, given away our money to big corporations, chose to do nothing about foreclosures and hasn’t created a single job. Arizona’s middle-class families are struggling, and Republicans, who control all of state government, went even further to harm middle-class police officers, firefighters and teachers.
Major pension reform bill headed to Governor’s Office
The Senate beat the sine die clock on Monday to pass legislation that contains major changes to the state’s pension systems.
The measure, which backers said would head off a collapse of the public pension programs, advanced on a party-line vote, 21-9.
Major pension reform appears on track to beat final adjournment
Call it the ultimate going-home bill: House Speaker Kirk Adams is making an eleventh-hour push to win support for a series of reforms to the state pension programs before the legislative session ends.
Shift in ASRS contribution rate poses costly computer problem
Near the end of the process, after months of debate, House and Senate negotiators needed some additional revenue in order to balance the state’s budget.
Adams and Yarbrough find compromise on rival pension reform bills
A compromise between House Speaker Kirk Adams and Sen. Steve Yarbrough and their respective pension reform plans passed the House Employment and Regulatory Affairs committee meeting this week.
Government unions should not oppose important reforms
Private-sector unions have a long history in America, and apart from occasional problems involving union violence, mob racketeering, and intimidation by union bosses of rank-and-file workers, they have often served as a legitimate part of the American workplace.
Pension pickle: Public safety employees hate both bills
As talk of pension reform heats up at the Capitol, organizations representing public safety employees such as police officers and firefighters may have to choose among three unappealing options: a bill they hate, a bill they hate even more and lawsuit they might lose.
Yarbrough pension reform plan clears committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed Sen. Steve Yarbrough’s plan for overhauling pension systems for public safety employees, despite the near-unanimous opposition of the groups that would be affected.
Pension-reform: Similar destinations, divergent routes
In pursuing pension-reform, Speaker Adams travels a lonely road, and Sen. Yarbrough stops for visits along the way.
Two bills — one still embryonic, one written and ready — represent the common goal of reforming the state’s pension system. They also represent two very different approaches to legislation.
Attacked and amended, Adams’ pension bill moves forward
An amended pension-reform bill, sponsored by Arizona Speaker of the House Kirk Adams, barely survived a stormy House committee hearing on Thursday.
Adams will listen, as long as pension reform is ‘real’
House Speaker Kirk Adams said today that he is willing to hear the concerns of unions and other groups that may have concerns about his pension reform bill, as long as they don’t compromise his vision of “real reform.”
AZ Chamber pushes for overhaul of state-retirement system
Despite a fairly positive report on the stability of the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) earlier this year, a major business group with no direct involvement in the fund is expressing serious concern.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, none of whose member firms has employees enrolled in a public pension plan, is calling for a major overhaul of ASRS to radically change h[...]
