Leaders of the Illinois Legislature say they're making progress negotiating a plan to deal with the state's $100 billion pension crisis.
The four caucus leaders of the state House and Senate on Thursday held a conference call over a plan that could save close to $150 million over 30 years. Their work builds off of a framework developed over the summer and fall by a bipartisan committee of lawmakers. Senate President John Cullerton's spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon says the meeting won't be the last before lawmakers meet in Springfield Dec. 3. Phelon says agreements have progressed to the stage that parts of the plan are being communicated with rank and file lawmakers.
Meanwhile the state's largest employee union plans a lobbying push to oppose the pension plan. The ``We are One Coalition'' represents the state's major public employee unions. It alerted members this week about ``emergency call-in days'' next week and on Dec. 2-3. Members are being asked to call lawmakers and urge them to vote against pension bills that don't have union support. The Unions say they weren't consulted about the plan and that they think elements of it are unconstitutional.
