Illinois Legislature votes for conference committee to solve pension fiasco

Thursday, June 20, 2013

SPRINGFIELD-In a rare special session move, the Illinois Legislature voted Wednesday to form a conference committee of lawmakers to solve the state’s $97 billion pension fiasco over concerns that a July 9 deadline imposed by Gov. Pat Quinn would not be enough time.
After years of failure to act on pension reform in Springfield and amid a severe theoretical difference in opinion between the Legislature’s top two Democrats, Quinn called the committee the “crowbar necessary to break the gridlock.”
“I was encouraged by the fact that [House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton] agreed to have a conference committee,” said Quinn, who met with legislative leaders Wednesday morning.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that the members of the Legislature understand that this is not going away. If on the 9th of July they haven’t done their job, they’re really letting the people of Illinois down.”