Daily Egyptian Reporter 18

Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, will submit an amendment to the new pension bill when he appears before the Pension Laws Commission today, succumbing to pressure from a group of about 700 SIUC workers.

The workers have demanded their health care privileges, which were stricken from the bill, be retained.

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House Bill 110 initially was designed to boost the pension benefits of state workers, who now receive benefits ranking 48th in the nation.

The plan was praised by the state, University officials and workers. However, in August, a small group of SIUC staffers, led by Ruth Pommier, receptionist at the Southern Hills Apartment Complex, voiced their concern over a line in the bill concerning the elimination of comprehensive health care coverage.

The legislation effectively strikes free coverage in favor of an item that requires retirees to assume 5 percent of their health care premium costs under 20 years.

The group has been pushing for a grandfather clause to be injected into the bill, allowing workers who were hired before Jan. 1, the bill’s effective date, to retain their original pension packages

Pommier and company got what they wanted this week as Luechtefeld and Jim Hacking, director of the State University Retirement System, have promised to introduce newly drafted amendments to the bill. The amendments would allow workers to opt out of the new pension program and retain their original benefits.

Luechtefeld and Hacking are scheduled to appear before the Pension Laws Commission today in an attempt to push their amendments. Before legislation concerning pension law can be introduced into the General Assembly, it must survive passage by the Commission.

Opposition to the bill has swelled to include about 700 members at SIUC and more workers at universities in central and northern Illinois.

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They contend that the bill only benefits those workers with high incomes and those who already have completed 20 years of service. They also maintain that the state should honor its agreement with workers, who were promised free health care at the time of employment.

Pommier said both amendments are satisfactory in their language and represent the volume of support for a grandfather clause to 110.

We’re very pleased, she said. I think with the number of people who have geared in on this, you can see that this isn’t a Southern Illinois thing anymore. It’s growing every day.

Pommier said that in her discussions with Luechtefeld, she was told the amendments, if they are acceptable to the Commission, will be attached to other bills seeking passage during the veto session which began today.

Luechtefeld said the amendments’ success in front of the Commission will depend on the support of Gov. Jim Edgar.

It really depends on how the governor’s office comes down on this thing, but we’re pretty confident, he said.

Luechtefeld also said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Rep. Larry Woolard, D-Carterville, are considering filing a similar amendment in the House. Details have not been announced, as neither office was available for comment.

Luechtefeld is supportive of the opposition movement and will continue to push for the amendment’s introduction during the veto session.

Many SIU people felt like they were left out of the new pension bill, he said. These changes will correct that.

Hopefully, we can get this on the floor.

SIUC Chancellor Donald Beggs, a supporter of House Bill 110, is aware of the dissatisfaction on campus about the health care changes and said he is sympathetic toward worker concerns. But, he said, any changes to the 110 must be financially responsible.

As long as it (an amendment) doesn’t adversely affect anything economically it’s all right, he said. The key is, is this economically feasible?

I don’t know whether or not it is yet.