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 Both the House and Senate had tentatively set aside time next week
to meet. On Monday, House Speaker Michael Madigan's chief of staff
emailed representatives, telling them to be at the Capitol on
Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 11 a.m.
"The House would expect this to be a one day session," Madigan chief
of staff Tim Mapes wrote in the email.
Senate President John Cullerton's spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said
senators still have Dec. 3-4 marked on the books, though there's
been no confirmation as legislative leaders are expected to continue
negotiations this week.
The leaders haven't given many details of their talks but have said
there's been movement.
Illinois has the worst-funded public pension system of any state,
largely because lawmakers either skipped or shorted payments.
Pensions have been Gov. Pat Quinn's top priority for nearly two
years, but there's been little progress despite previous special
sessions and other attempts.
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 Spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said Quinn was "encouraged" with
prospects of a special session and a "comprehensive" solution being
sent to his desk. "There is more work to do," she said in an
emailed statement.
Madigan, Cullerton, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno talked in a
conference call last week on a proposal that could save Illinois
roughly $150 billion over the next three decades. The plan comes
from guidelines developed by a bipartisan pension panel in
pervious months. That proposal would reduce employee
contributions and replaced retirees' 3 percent annual compounded
cost-of-living increase with one that's half the inflation rate,
among other things.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the speaker continued
discussions with leaders over the weekend.
"He indicated there was continued progress," Brown said in an
email. He declined to elaborate.
[Associated
Press; SOPHIA TAREEN]
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