It's doubtful Illinois' pension crisis will be resolved soon.
Legislative leaders and the governor met today Thursday to negotiate who should pay retirement costs for downstate and suburban teachers ... the state or school districts.
The state picks up the tab now, but it doesn't pay for Chicago teachers' retirement benefits.
Top lawmakers say they're going to spend five weeks studying school funding equality. THEN they'll work on what to do about Illinois' hugely underfunded government pensions.
Governor Pat Quinn says he's willing to wait.
"I think each of the leaders got the message that we have to act, and act with dispatch. If we have to make a comprehensive study of school funding in order to make some of the leaders and members comfortable with voting for our pension reform, so be it."
In the meantime, the state's 85-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability continues to grow.
House and Senate Republican leaders say forcing school districts to pay teachers' pensions will lead to property tax hikes.
House Minority Leader Tom Cross says while there remains a disagreement over the shifting of costs from the state to school districts, everyone agrees pension reforms must happen.
