illinois police pension consolidation lawsuit

Illinois Federation of Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO vs. Lindberg, 60 Ill.2d 266 (1975) 3 Felt vs. Board of Trustees, 107 Ill.2d 158 (1985) 5 Schroeder vs. Morton Grove Police Pension Board, 219 Ill. App.3d 697 (1991) 7 McNamee vs. State of Illinois, 173 Ill.2d 433 (1996) 9 The People ex rel. The Court also rejected the use of the states police power to reduce pensions, that is, the notion that the greater need to provide basic services could justify reducing pensions, noting that other provisions in the constitution included wording qualifying the promises made as subject to affordability, but that the pension protection wording was absolute. While benefits would continue to be managed by local boards, some police funds and their advocacy organizations resisted the change and a group ofpolice funds early last yearsued to block the implementation, arguing the mandated consolidation equates to a benefit cut. Such actions are likely to generate long-term savings. Five years later, the Illinois General Assembly amended the Pension Code to limit military service credit to those who applied before September 1, 1974. In 1991, the collective ratio was at 75.65% and peaked at 77.31% in 1999. Gov. t 312.346.5700 f 312.896.2500, Springfield Office | Illinois Policy J.B Pritzker is expected to sign the legislation. Illinois plans to consolidate its 650 police and fire pension funds in the suburbs and downstate. Theres been confusion among the stakeholders over the litigations impact should the court overturn the legislation, which would also impact the firefighters fund. In fact, the text cites multiple attempts to provide some alternate language to the constitutions blanket statement, which did not succeed: We note, moreover, that after the drafters of the 1970 Constitution initially approved the pension protection clause, a proposal was submitted to Delegate Green by the chairperson of the Illinois Public Employees Pension Laws Commission, an organization established by the General Assembly to, inter alia, offer recommendations regarding the impact of proposed pension legislation. An Illinois Circuit Court judge refused a trial which sought to stop the consolidation of the state's 650 fire and police pension funds, rejecting the plaintiff's claims that a law enacting the decision violated the state constitution.. The state judge overseeing the constitutional challenge of Illinois effort to consolidate suburban Chicago and downstate police pension fund assets will render a decision May 20. These pensions are primarily funded through the states second-highest in the nation property taxes, diverting taxpayer dollars from improving cities core services. The plaintiffs claimed that they had a contractual and enforceable right to exclusively manage and control their investment expenditures and income, including interest dividends, capital gains and other distributions on investments, which they said the consolidation infringed upon. I write about retirement policy from an actuary's perspective. "No matter the ruling, the case likely will be heard by the Illinois Supreme Court. The new Police Officers Pension Investment Fund sought legislation during the spring session to push off the deadline by a year but it stalled. However, the Municipal Leagues analysis points to an alternative IRS rule for retirement systems that do not satisfy the safe harbor rules. "We also have transfers scheduled for June 1 and June 24. Illinois lawmakers pass pension sweeteners without knowing the cost, cost $14 million to $19 million more per year. However, choosing who invests funds does not guarantee a particular outcome for benefit payments. Illinois Police Officers Pension Investment Fund 1) Review and possible approval of IPOPIF Exhibit A Resolution . This plan falls far short of eliminating even the $11 billion of debt held by these plans. The police funds ended 2019 at 54.98% and firefighters were at 54.35%. Copyright 2023 Asset International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Illinois police, firefighters push back on state control of pensions, In DeKalb, police and fire pension costs use up about, In Peoria, Mayor Rita Ali recently called on state leaders to fix pension costs on which the city will. Nicklas and some other city leaders are relived to see their pensions consolidated, noting the underfunded plans weigh on budgets and credit ratings, contributing to a slowed economic recovery from the pandemic. v. Governor Jay Robert "J.B." Pritzker, et al. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1000, which amended the Illinois Pension Code to create the Police Officers Pension Investment Fund and the Firefighters Pension Investment Fund, built through the consolidation of more than 650 otherwise independent downstate and suburban funds. Article XIII, Section 5, of the Illinois Constitution, commonly known as the Pension Protection Clause, provides that [m]embership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired. Ill. Const. Since our last newsletter, on November 10, 2021 the J.B. Pritzker announced his support for a plan for the state to combine roughly 650 suburban and Downstate police and fire pension funds last month, the Illinois Fraternal Order of . In Illinois, there is a rich body of law concerning interference with pension rights and benefits. Illinois' consolidation of suburban and downstate police firefighter pension fund assets cleared a second legal hurdle but it could take a decision from the Illinois Supreme Court to clear the path for full participation in the plan. The People ex rel. To the extent that growth in the pensionable salary cap is an issue, it remains to be seen whether Senate Bill 616 solves the problem. Consolidating scores of local firefighter and police pension funds could save Illinois taxpayers between $820 million and $2.5 billion in the next five years, according to a report published Thursday by a state task force that's been studying the issue since January. More than $13 billion in debt was owed to local downstate public safety pension plans through 2020, according to Illinois Department of Insurance data. While the governors task force publicly stated the enhancements would cost $14 million to $19 million more per year, this number was not backed up by any public data or methodology to justify it. and Terms of Service apply. B. Pritzker, who signed the bill into law. The Civic Federations recently released Inventory of Local Governments in Illinois report identified a total of 8,923 units of local government in Illinois. Discovery shareholder, having accepted . In the end, my reading of this decision says that the Court gave Illinois voters a roadmap to pension reform: there is only one path forward, that of an amendment, but it is at the same time, it is a travelable path, achievable if there is sufficient political will or grassroots support. Will be used in accordance with our terms of service & privacy policy. (In fact, on only four topics were voters given the ability to vote individually, vs. an all-or-nothing up-or-down vote: cumulative voting for the legislature, election of judges, capital punishment, and the vote for 18 year olds. . Public Safety Pension Infographic. By: Matthew J. Schueler. Committee: House Education and the Workforce: Related Items: Salaries can grow beyond the cap, but the portion that is used to calculate pension benefits cannot. lawsuit filed by a handful of . candidate seeks $12M from Preckwinkle, 4th Ward Dems for alleged defamatory mailers, Judge says franchisors also liable in suits claiming biomertric scan violations; Ruling could make businesses more vulnerable to suits, UIC law prof can continue part of lawsuit regarding reaction to his allegedly racially insensitive test question, IL high court: Concerns over 'absurd,' 'annihalitive' payouts no reason to limit damage claims under IL biometrics law, Appeals panel agrees IL police and firefighter pension consolidation doesn't violate state constitution, IL Supreme Court: Chicago didn't violate state law by charging fees to owners of impounded vehicles, Appeals panel: Chicago must force telecom companies to hire union labor to upgrade their equipment on city-owned poles. The lawsuit alleged that the consolidation violates two provisions of the Illinois Constitution: the pension protection clause and the takings clause. We hope you find our website helpful! Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The three main parts of the pension benefit formula are illustrated below. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed into law the consolidation of 649 downstate and suburban police and fire pension plans into two new pension funds. However, that process may be interrupted if a court issues an order staying the transfer of assets. "The Illinois Police Officer's Pension Investment Fund is pleased that the Illinois Appellate Court . On June 25, 2021, the Defendants filed motions to dismiss the Plaintiffs amended complaint, and the court has given the Plaintiffs until August 4, 2021, to respond to these motions. The initial legislation, which affected most public pension funds in the State, was introduced on March 24, 2010 and passed the same day. The Illinois Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund told lawmakers during a committee hearing that some individual funds have resisted moving their assets because of pending litigation. The Illinois Municipal League, which has advocated for pension consolidation for the past decade, also supports Pritzkers plan. Illinois Passes Police, Fire Pension Consolidation Bill, Illinois Group Wants Municipal Pension Consolidations, New Illinois Law Authorizes $1 Billion in Pension Obligation Bonds and Extends Buyout Option, Tags: court ruling, Firefighters Pension Investment Fund, Illinois, J. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy Will be used in accordance with our terms of service & privacy policy. These pensions are primarily funded through the statessecond-highestin the nation property taxes, diverting taxpayer dollars from improving cities core services. Senate Bill 616 requires that contribution changes due to changes in actuarial assumptions be phased in over three years. The firefighters consolidation had more widespread support among funds when the 2019 legislation was being debated while some police funds and pension associations opposed it. The Illinois Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund told lawmakers during a committee hearing that some individual funds have resisted moving their assets because of pending litigation challenging the constitutionality of the 2019 consolidation legislation. The task force estimated that the consolidated funds could generate an additional $820 million to $2.5 billion in investment returns over five years, or $164 million to $500 million per year. Governor JB Pritzker, too, has claimed that theres nothing to be done except to find more money, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots vaguely worded statements about the matter dont amount to anything more, either. Simply put, plaintiffs do not own the funds that the Act requires to be transferred to the new statewide police and firefighter pension investment funds. An Illinois Circuit Court judge has denied a lawsuit that sought to stop the consolidation of the states 650 firefighter and police officer pension funds, rejecting the plaintiffs claims that a law enacting the move violated the states constitution. About a month ago, Gov. Illinois Public Pensions Database. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. However, in February 2021 18 police and firefighter pension funds, including active and retired members, filed a complaint against Illinois Governor J. The law is aimed at easing shortfalls in Illinois local public safety pensions by merging more than $16 billion in assets from the 650 retirement plans into two funds, one for police and one for firefighters. XIII, 5. In 2019, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that allows for the consolidation of 650 police and fire pensions to consolidate their funds into two . Over time, the reduced benefits are expected to slow the growth in unfunded liabilities as new employees are hired and fewer members remain in the old benefit tier. The Illinois Municipal League, which has advocated for pension consolidation for the past decade, also supports Pritzkers plan. Supporters of Senate Bill 616 have not as yet shown whether the proposed changes are needed to satisfy legal requirements and, if they are needed, whether they must be implemented immediately. Gov. The Social Security wage base is the maximum amount of salary subject to Social Security tax. Recently, however, the consolidation encountered its first legal challengea class action lawsuit claiming Public Act 101-0610 unconstitutional. By cutting down on duplicative administrative costs and pooling investment assets to get better returns an important source of income for pension funds consolidated pension systems are more efficient. This is a much narrower claim than some have made, including Gov. However, it should be noted that these increased returns are not guaranteed. Challenging the amendment directly, plaintiffs also argued it violates the state constitutions takings clause regarding public use of private property. Senate Bill 616 reinstates the Tier 1 benefit for these surviving spouses. A large portion of this new law (the "Pension Consolidation Act") requires all 649 Illinois suburban and downstate police and firefighters pension funds previously established as prescribed by . While Pritzker said the measure would cut costs and improve returns for recipients, three dozen current employees and retirees, along with 18 local retirement plans, filed the lawsuit in February. Nearly $10 billion of assets are managed by local police funds that eventually would be transferred if the consolidation is upheld. The plaintiffs claim that they had a contractual and enforceable right to exclusively manage and control their investment expenditures and income, including interest dividends, capital gains, and other distributions on investments, which the consolidation has infringed upon. 2021 CH 55 . Arlington Heights Police Pension Fund, et al. The Newsletter Bringing the Legal System to Light. A pension consolidation task force Thursday released a report that recommends the state combine roughly 650 suburban and Downstate police and fire pension funds to try to increase efficiency and lower costs while also increasing pension benefits. The plaintiffs are seeking to certify the lawsuit as a class action. More than $13 billion in debt was owed to local downstate public safety pension plans through 2020, according to Illinois Department of Insurance data. Municipalities have until July 1 to transfer all assets from their locally managed pension funds . Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this very important hearing on the fraud that nearly brought down the $4 billion HealthSouth Corporation. To date, 32 plans have transferred assets totaling more than $660 million to the IPOPIF with an additional 16funds scheduled to transfer funds May 2 which would bring the total to more than $1 billion. Click here to read the full issue brief. ", Voting for the local board is, at best, ancillary to a participants receipt of the pension payment and other assets, McLaren continued. On February 23, 2021, eighteen police and firefighter pension funds, as well as individual active and retired members of these funds, filed a complaint against Governor Pritzker, the two new consolidated pension investment funds, and others in the Kane County Circuit Court. The increase for most workers hired before 2011 (but not Chicago public safety and some other employees) is 3% on a compounded basis. 300 S. Riverside Plaza | 1650 | Chicago, IL 60606 Amid the worst pension crisis in the nation, lawmakers voted in bipartisan fashion to improve pension benefits for downstate police officers and firefighters without performing the necessary financial analysis to estimate the cost. They are seeking to maintain local control over pension management. Illinois' Fraternal Order of Police is among the groups opposed to the idea. Although some union leaders supported the move, dozens of police and firefighter pension boards and individual members sued the state and the new funds to stop the consolidation. The lawsuit said the law violated the state's pension protection clause, the contracts clause and the takings clause of the Illinois Constitution by terminating "plaintiffs' authority to. The 22-page complaint alleges the consolidation violates three provisions of the Illinois Constitution: (1) the Pension Protection Clause; (2) the Contracts Clause; and (3) the Takings Clause. Trustee Moehrlin made a motion to table the resolutions to appoint an authorized representative to the new Illinois Police Officers Pension investment fund and Trustee Orta seconded the motion. A Tier 2 public safety employees final average salary, which serves as the basis for calculating monthly and annual pension payments at the end of a career, will now be based on the highest four out of the last five years rather than the highest eight of the last 10. On December 18, 2019, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Public Act 101-0610, which provided for the mandatory consolidation of the investment assets of the State's public safety pension funds into two consolidated investment funds - one for police pension funds (Article 3 Funds) and one for firefighter pension funds (Article 4 Funds), J.B. Pritzker signed a bill to consolidate local police and firefighter pensions from across downstate Illinois, but beneficiaries are suing because the state is notorious for poor pension management. The legislation impairs the exclusivity and rights of the local funds to manage their funds locally and impairs and diminishes their ability to vote and to have their vote count, Daniel Konicek, of Konicek & Dillon which is representing the police funds, said in an interview. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1000, which amended the Illinois Pension Code to create the Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund and the Firefighters' Pension Investment Fund, built through the consolidation of more than 650 otherwise independent downstate and suburban funds. Although Judge Robert Villa writes in the ruling that the consolidation undeniably diminished the weight of each individuals board member vote, he also holds that traditional voting rights claims are not at issue. Three dozen current employees and retirees, along with 18 local retirement plans, filed a lawsuit in February in Illinois circuit court saying the consolidation violates the state. Governor's Pension Consolidation Feasibility Task Force Report. It is supposed to cut administrative costs and raise investment returns but rating agencies consider it a positive credit step because municipal budgets are strained by rising payment demands that have forced some to raise taxes, cut services, issue pension obligation bonds, and sell off assets. https://ift.tt/xkdXGS1 The state judge overseeing the constitutional challenge of Illinois' effort to consolidate suburban Chicago and downstate police pension fund assets will render a decision May 20.The losing side will appeal, so the case will likely end up before the Illinois Supreme Court, but next month's decision will impact the course of a consolidation process But being able to vote for board members, or have a local board control investments, he added, is not of the same nature and essentiality as the ability to participate in the fund, accumulate credited time, or receive health care, disability and life insurance coverage. But consolidation is a small step for a tiny portion of Illinois pension problem. Its the sort of thing that seems very nit-picky but is actually very relevant to the situation in Illinois. Pensionable salary cap: The Tier 2 pensionable salary cap currently increases at one-half of CPI or 3%, whichever is less. . The lawsuit alleged that the consolidation violates two provisions of the Illinois Constitution: the pension protection clause and the takings clause. Working together, we are helping hundreds of cities across the state of Illinois to alleviate their spiraling property tax burdens, and just as importantly, were showing that Illinois can tackle its most intractable problems," Pritzker said at the time. An Illinois Circuit Court judge has denied a lawsuit that sought to stop the consolidation of the state's 650 firefighter and police officer pension funds, rejecting the plaintiff's claims that a law enacting the move violated the state's constitution. At some point, even with the high multiplier, Tier 2 police and fire benefits might not meet the alternative IRS standards, but the analysis does not suggest the timing of any potential violation. By cutting down on duplicative administrative costs and. While 98% of Illinois pension plans are for He projected the consolidation could yield an extra $2.5 billion in investment returns over five years after the law took effect Jan. 1, 2020. Plaintiffs rights to receive benefit payments are not impacted by these transfers.. The governing board is comprised of Mayors and Village Presidents. The amendment doesnt mandate those loans, nor is there evidence it reduces available funding to pay promised benefits. The Firefighters Pension Investment Fund applauded the court ruling, saying in a statement that it will continue to implement the transition process, which is required to be completed by June 30. The Civic Federation urges the Governors Office and sponsors of Senate Bill 616 to demonstrate the need for the specific Tier 2 enhancements in the legislation. comeback Similar warnings were issued by the Illinois Public Employees Pension Laws Commission in biennial reports it published between 1947 and 1969. The panel explained the amendment allows the Illinois Finance Authority to lend up to $7.5 million to each of the new statewide funds, and if borrowed, it would be repaid with interest. When Gov. A court ruling as soon as December will determine the fate of a 2019 law Gov. That could be a boost for communities being squeezed by pension costs. The increases are designed to fix a legal issue related to these relatively low Tier 2 benefits, but so far little information has been made available about the long-term cost of the proposed solution or the urgency of implementing the changes. Its all, I suppose, a trick of assuming that there is a singular People of Illinois who, through their ratification of the constitution, promised to pay future benefits when they come due, rather than recognizing that the People of 1970 (presumably quite unknowingly) restricted future generations of Illinoisians by forcing them to make these payments without limitation. Justice Robert McLaren wrote the panels opinion, issued Feb. 7; Justices Susan Hutchinson and Ann Jorgensen concurred. Required fields are marked *. Youre invited to comment at JaneTheActuary.com! Ultimately, the combination of unknown costs for the benefit increases and uncertain savings from consolidation means taxpayers should be wary of any potential benefits of this bill. Since then, the Firefighters Pension Investment Fund (FPIF) and the Illinois Police Officers Pension Investment Fund (IPOPIF) have geared up to receive those investment funds and go to work. The legal limbo brought about by the case has resulted in some local Article 3 pensions plans choosing to not transfer funds as mandated by the Act until a ruling is announced, Richard White, the funds executive director, said in a statement. From this, the Illinois Supreme Court has held that public employees have an inviolable contractual right to their vested pension benefits, which cannot be diminished or impaired. Copyright 2023 Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd. | Web Design & Hosting: B Square Web. Rather, the Illinois Supreme Court says that the constitution-writers intentionally gave pensions an elevated level of protection beyond what the U.S. Constitution requires via this clause. See, e.g., Report of the Illinois Public Employees Pension Laws Commission of 1949, 10 (1949) (revenues allocated to pension funds have not kept pace In 2019, the Illinois General Assembly passed Public Act 101-0610, which required downstate police and firefighter local pension funds assets to be consolidated into statewide funds for investment purposes. In 2019, the Illinois General Assemblypassed a billthat allows for the consolidation of 650 police and firefighter pensions in order to pool their funds into two statewide funds for investment purposesone for police and one for firefighters. The case is expected to be resolved in the circuit court on initial motions. starts here. The salary cap under Tier 2 and the Social Security wage base were the same in 2011$106,800but the Tier 2 cap for 2019 is $114,952, while the Social Security wage base is $132,900. Consolidation Lawsuit Update . 994 108th Congress (2003-2004). Taxpayers must not allow Springfield to pretend theyve solved the pension problem. Pension funds in the suburbs and downstate Inc. All rights Reserved advocated for pension consolidation Feasibility Task Force.! Copyright 2023 Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd. | Web Design & Hosting: Square! Court ruling as soon as December will determine the fate of a 2019 law Gov %! Pension benefit formula are illustrated below must not allow Springfield to pretend theyve solved the pension.. Have until July 1 to transfer All assets from their locally managed pension funds in the nation taxes!, the consolidation of 649 downstate and suburban police and fire pension funds in nation... Design & Hosting: B Square Web funds does not guarantee a particular for. Total of 8,923 units of local Governments in Illinois report identified a total of 8,923 units local... The past decade, also supports Pritzkers plan reCAPTCHA and the takings clause alleged that the Illinois police &! 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illinois police pension consolidation lawsuit

illinois police pension consolidation lawsuit