By Craig Harris | The Arizona Republic
Two influential judges seeking a last-minute reprieve from proposed pension reforms asked a state Senate panel Wednesday to consider increasing fees paid by court users so future judges could continue to receive guaranteed retirement benefits.
Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch and Maricopa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Norm Davis urged the Arizona Senate Finance Committee to exempt judges from a bill that would create a less generous, 401(k)-style retirement plan for future Arizona elected officials.
The legislation, House Bill 2608, passed out of committee on a 4-3 party-line vote. It seeks to ultimately close the Elected Officials’ Retirement Plan, the most generous of Arizona’s public-pension systems.
Lawmakers are trying to end EORP because it is significantly underfunded and costly to taxpayers. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, public funds paid into the trust for elected officials totaled $21.7 million, while contributions from politicians themselves totaled $6.8 million.
All Arizona judges are part of EORP.
Continued: http://www.azcentral.com/news/arizona/articles/20130320arizona-judges-fight-pension-reform.html
