Pension case will be heard in Sangamon County

The We Are One Illinois union coalition won a procedural victory today when the Illinois Supreme Court ordered that various lawsuits against a law cutting public employee pensions (Public Act 98-0599) be consolidated and tried in Sangamon County.

"We agree with the Illinois Supreme Court's consolidation order in Sangamon County, and our coalition filed a motion with the Illinois Supreme Court to achieve this outcome,” We Are One Illinois announced. "Sangamon County houses our state capital, the headquarters of the statewide officeholders and retirement systems named as defendants, and the legislature that passed Public Act 98-0599. Sangamon County is also geographically central, and three of the four cases were filed there initially.”

Lawyers representing the We Are One Illinois coalition filed their lawsuit on Jan. 28. It will be combined with lawsuits filed by the Illinois State Employees Association Retirees, the Retired State Employees Association and the Illinois Retired Teachers Association.

All four lawsuits are seeking to overturn the “pension theft” bill on the grounds that it violates the state constitution’s clear language that pension benefits of public employees cannot be “diminished or impaired.”

While the Supreme Court’s order has established a venue for the consolidated lawsuit, an initial hearing date has not yet been set.

Keep visiting the Council 31 website and Facebook page for further updates on the lawsuit’s progress.