The House Appropriations Committee passed legislation Thursday to reform state employee retirement benefits on party-line votes. House Bills 4701, sponsored by Representative Bill Rogers (R-Brighton) and 4702, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) cleared the panel on identical 17-10 votes.
The most substantive portion of the reform would require state employees who are eligible to receive a defined benefit plan, or pension, to choose between freezing their pension and moving to a 401(k) style benefit or stick with their pension and begin paying 4 percent of their salary toward the benefit.
The objections of employee unions and Democratic Committee members were evident through the often hot-tempered hearing. Democrats offered seven amendments to the measures, all failing on party-line votes. Republicans and Democrats differed on issues from the very idea that there is truly a problem that needs to be solved by the reform, to the inclusion of overtime when pensions are figured.
Representative Earl Poleski (R-Jackson) won the only amendment, striking language that would allow certain retired employees to continue drawing pensions if brought back into employment by the State Budget Director, the Speaker of the House, or the Senate Majority Leader.