Republican Leaders Urge Action on Pension Reform

Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) and State Senator and Pension Conference Committee member, Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Hills) sent a letter to Governor Jerry Brown asking for his leadership in urging his Democratic colleagues and the members of the Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions to allow an up or down vote to be taken on Governor Brown’s “Twelve Point Pension Reform Plan” at the committee’s hearing on Friday, April 13th.  

“It has been five months since Governor Brown introduced his ‘Twelve Point Pension Reform Plan’ and the Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions has failed to schedule even the first review of this vitally needed legislation,” said Huff.  “We hope Governor Brown will join us in demanding immediate legislative action on his twelve point pension plan, which we believe represents the first steps that must be enacted to get our runaway pension costs under control.”

California’s state and local pensions are unfunded by hundreds of billions of dollars.  Recent internal pension adjustments have added an extra $300 million annual obligation for CalPERS, the state’s largest pension system.  

“This unsustainable debt is crowding out money needed for education, public safety, and other critical services,” said Walters.  “If we are going to get a handle on this problem we need the leadership and support of the governor now. This is Governor Brown’s plan.  Our legislation did not change a single word, not even a comma.”  

Republican leaders are urging Governor Brown to work together to enact his bi-partisan pension reform plan.  

The Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions is scheduled to meet, Friday, April 13th, at Chaffey College Community Center in Rancho Cucamonga. 

Letter to Pension Committee Chairs, Gloria Negrete McLeod and Warren Furutani (pdf)

Letter to Governor Jerry Brown (pdf)