NCPERS News Clips

April 30, 2013

News Clips for April 30th, 2013

U.S. News

• Why Shouldn't Teachers Direct Their Pension Money?
  I am surprised that a Wall Street Journal editorial (" Randi Weingarten's Pension Veto," April 19) uses our work around pension issues as an opportunity to promote its education agenda—even though that was not the focus of the report we issued
• Legislature to consider teacher, state worker pension changes
  (Texas) Proposal to shore up funds would increase retirement age; workers say it's unfair to change the rules in midstream
• Hedge Funders Say It's 'A Badge Of Honor' To Be Targeted By 'Thuggish' Teachers Unions
  The American Federation of Teachers, a labor union that represents teachers, is going after a bunch of hedge funders who support education reform.
• Senate OKs 401(k)-style pension plans for state employees
  (Washington) A controversial plan to let future state employees opt into a 401(k) style pension plans – instead of fixed-payment pensions that most receive today – won passage in the state Senate by a narrow vote of 25 to 22 on Thursday.
• Governor, lawmakers divided on results of Montana Legislature
  After the gavels came down Wednesday on the 2013 Legislature, Gov. Steve Bullock and legislative leaders had widely different assessments about what was accomplished – and what wasn't – in the session.
• President-endorsed pension plan sent to Gov. Quinn
  President Bill Perry, along with 13 other Illinois public university leaders, sent a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn endorsing a six-step plan to fund the Illinois State University Retirement System earlier this month.
• Teachers Turn Out to Be Tough Markers
  The AFT targets hedge-fund managers that oppose public pension plans.
• Some money managers backpedal after AFT report
  A report saying some money management executives have backed groups that advocate the end of defined benefit plans prompted one executive to resign as a firm director and others to defend their support of DB plans.
• Every Oregonian deserves accessible retirement plan
  With recent national news coverage of Medicare and Social Security — and the debate over PERS here at home — many of us have retirement on our minds. These days, it's more and more common to hear people joke that “I’ll have to work until I die.”
• Commentary: GOP's Public Pension Transparency Act Starts on a False Premise
  Rep. Gwen Moore thinks HR 1628, the Public Pension Transparency Act introduced last week by Reps. Devin Nunes, Paul Ryan and Darrell Issa, proceeds from a false premise, which causes the bill to introduce opacity rather than transparency of disclosure into the market, and intrudes on state sovereignty and policy (Subscription Required)