As reported by nj.com, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver have no plans to post a constitutional amendment ensuring judges are subject to increases in pension and benefit payments proposed by Governor Chris Christie. “I am not inclined to support pursuing a constitutional amendment,” Oliver said. “It sets a very unhealthy
pension reform
Judge Rules State Pension, Benefits Overhaul Does Not Apply To NJ Judges
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, Superior Court judges and Supreme Court justices, protected by the state Constitution from salary reductions while in office, are exempt from Governor Chris Christie’s new pension and health benefits plan requiring them to contribute a larger share of their salary, a judge ruled yesterday.
Christie immediately lashed out …
NJ Towns To Save $267M In Pension Costs Thanks To New Law
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, the Christie administration touted big savings for local governments because of pension reforms as state employees and a judge tussled over lawsuits challenging new requirements for them to pay more their benefits.
The controversial public benefits overhaul, signed by Governor Chris Christie in June, shifts a greater share of …
State Employees Challenging Legality of Pension Law Want to Combine Lawsuit
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, a group of state employees challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey’s new law covering pension and health benefits wants to combine their lawsuit to the one brought by a Superior Court judge. The employees said the lawsuit filed by Judge Paul DePacale was similar to the one filed on their …
Leaked Audio Reveals Christie Says He Helped Oliver Remain In Power For Her Help Passing Public Employee Benefits Overhaul
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, leaked audio from Governor Chris Christie’s closed-door speech to conservative donors in Colorado gives new details on the heated final days in the battle to cut public employee benefits. In particular, Christie said Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver personally asked him for Republican support to stay in power if dissident …
NJ Unions, Public Workers Sue To Stop Pension, Benefits Overhaul
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, dozens of unions and public workers filed suit against the newly enacted pension and health benefit overhaul in federal court yesterday. The 58-page, 17-count suit charges the state violated the state and federal constitutions by suspending cost of living adjustments for at least 30 years, failing to make full payments …
NJ Supreme Court Won’t Rush To Hear Judge’s Challenge of Pension Overhaul
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, a Superior Court judge challenging the increased payments judges must make under newly-enacted changes to public worker health and pension benefit plans will not be allowed to have his case directly sent to the New Jersey Supreme Court. In a two-paragraph order issued yesterday, Supreme Court Justice Virginia …
Sweeney, Norcross Lose Support Of AFL-CIO
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, two of the most prominent Democrats in the state legislature-both labor leaders-lost the support of a major union coalition Thursday, spelling possible trouble for their November reelection fights. The statewide AFL-CIO, representing 30 unions of public and private-industry members, voted in the annual endorsement conference not to support Senate President …
NJ Judge Files Lawsuit Against New Pension And Health Benefits Increases For Public Workers
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, New Jersey’s public worker pension and health benefits increases should be revoked for state judges because they unconstitutionally slash their salaries and undermine judicial independence, a state Superior Court judge claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The complaint, filed by Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale, who sits in Hudson …
Pensions To Strain New Jersey Revenues
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by mycentraljersey.com, New Jersey’s new pension reform will save state and local governments millions of dollars now and billions of dollars over the ensuing decades. But then there is the hard part: actually paying the pension contributions for nearly 800,000 state government employees and retirees. Although New Jersey will have to pay less …