Our coalition has heard credible reports that pension-slashing bills could move in the Senate tomorrow.
Senate Bill 1 – or pieces of it, like House Bill 1165 – could be up for a Senate vote on Thursday, May 30, or Friday, May 31. Both bills have already passed the House. If either bill clears the Senate, it will go to the Governor Pat Quinn’s desk, where he is very likely to sign either measure.
The legislature is entering the last 48 hours of session before its scheduled adjournment on Friday. This is the most critical time for you to act.
Call your state senators now at 888-412-6570 or click here. Even if you have called before, call again. Tell your state senators to stand with working families and retirees. Tell them to vote no on SB 1 or any pieces of it, like HB 1165.
As you may recall, SB 1 is House Speaker Michael Madigan’s pension-cutting “mega-bill” that affects active and retired workers. It deeply cuts COLAs, reducing the value of a pension between one-third and one-half after twenty years in retirement. It increases retirement ages up to five years, without regard for physically or mentally demanding jobs. And it limits the amount of salary that earns a pension, ignoring the mandatory overtime worked by many public servants.
HB 1165 essentially contains the COLA cut from SB 1. This COLA cut caps the amount of pension that earns a COLA at extremely low levels and delays them for five years.
A description of these bills is available on our website by clicking on the following link.
Now is the time to act.
Call 888-412-6570 to make your voice heard, and then tell five friends to add their voices to yours.
Thank you for your continued advocacy in our long fight for a secure, stable retirement.
- We Are One Illinois
