D.158 extends superintendent contract

LANSING | The Lansing Elementary District 158 Board of Education approved a new contract for Superintendent Cecilia Heiberger last week by a 6-1 vote.

Clock ticking down on Illinois pension deal

SPRINGFIELD | Despite high hopes from Gov. Pat Quinn, a push to overhaul the state’s massively underfunded employee retirement systems by a Wednesday deadline remains a tough sell.

Illinois dragging its feet on huge pension problem

CHICAGO | Illinois, a state with a reputation for political wheeling and dealing, backroom handshakes and 11th-hour bargains, is dragging its feet on the one deal needed to solve its biggest crisis in a generation.

State surplus boosts pension funds

INDIANAPOLIS | Five state employee pension funds received a windfall payment -- complete with oversized novelty check -- as Gov. Mitch Daniels on Thursday distributed their shares of Indiana's automatic taxpayer refund.

LaPorte County Sheriff's Merit Board wants pension ended for former jail matron

LAPORTE | A decision was made Thursday to take court action seeking to take away the pension now being collected by the wife of a former LaPorte County sheriff.

Ill. lawmakers fail to act on pension crisis

SPRINGFIELD | Illinois lawmakers failed to address the state's massive pension problem Friday but did expel a legislator over bribery charges during a day of frustration for officials in a state government already burdened by a reputation for paralysis and corruption.

Weak investment returns will require higher pension payments

INDIANAPOLIS | Local governments and school corporations will pay higher employee pension contributions next year due to lackluster stock market earnings during the 2012 budget year that ended June 30.

The Daily Fix

Offering perspective on today's issues

Lansing does away with salary ‘spike’ for retiring cops, firefighters

LANSING | Less than a month after Village President Norm Abbott said there would be no immediate change in the salary “spike” provided to retiring police officers and firefighters, the Village Board voted to do away with the 19-year-old municipal perk.

Offer no pensions, just 401(k) plans, for politicians

As per the recent Curbside Comment feature, pensions for politicians? Hogwash!

Heat rises for Ill. legislators as deadline nears

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. | End-of-session disputes Wednesday slowed the Illinois Legislature's momentum toward a deal to control rising pension costs and pass a painful state budget.

No debate on Madigan's pension push

SPRINGFIELD | A plan to divert more than a billion dollars from local governments to help finance the state’s pension systems was not called for a vote Wednesday in a House committee.

Lawmakers' pensions also in crosshairs

SPRINGFIELD | Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to alter state pension plans won't just affect rank-and-file public sector workers.

Political battles over pensions likely to step up Tuesday

To state officials, the idea of reforming how pensions are funded is a matter of saving money to help bring the state budget back under control.

Quinn aide: Pension shift just a 'concept' for now

SPRINGFIELD | It appears unlikely Gov. Pat Quinn will push hard this spring to shift some of the state's skyrocketing pension costs off on local school districts and universities.