Pension change draws reprimand from Jerry Brown
Gov. Jerry Brown criticized a Wednesday decision by pension officials allowing temporary pay increases to trigger bigger retirement benefits for some public employees.
The governor originally objected to the change in an Aug. 15 letter, but the board of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System moved forward anyway.
“Today CalPERS got it wrong,” Brown said in a statement. “This vote undermines the pension reforms enacted just two years ago.”
The governor said he asked his staff “to determine what actions can be taken to protect the integrity” of legislation approved in 2012 to limit pension costs.
The exact financial impact of Wednesday’s decision is unclear. An analysis prepared by pension officials said additional costs are “likely to be minimal.”
Temporary pay increases can be awarded when a worker is shifted into a higher-paid position while a colleague is on medical leave or while a new, permanent employee is recruited.
Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.
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