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THE RULING
LOCAL REACTION
“No rights or property would be safe from the state. Today it is nullification of the right to retirement benefits. Tomorrow it could be renunciation of the duty to repay state obligations. Eventually, investment capital could be seized.”
“It’s unfortunate that we’re back to square one again at a time we can ill afford it. Without even considering this, we’re $6 billion in the budget hole for 2016.”
“To me, the [Illinois] Constitution is very clear, and our Supreme Court ruled on this very clearly in the past.”
Justice Lloyd Karmeier said in writing the court’s opinion
Sen. Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles
lican voices arguing the law was unconstitutional
Rep. Mike Tryon, among the more vocal Repub-
PENSION LAW TOSSED Justices find landmark law violates state constitution The ASSOCIATED PRESS SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court forced the state Friday to find another way to fix the nation’s worst government-employee pension crisis, ruling lawmakers “overstepped” by enacting a law that slashed retirement benefits to confront a massive budget deficit. In a unanimous decision that frequently scolded state policymakers, the seven justices declared that the measure former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law 18 months ago violates the state constitution because it would leave pension promises “diminished or impaired.” The cash-strapped state now must again grapple with a $111 billion deficit in what’s necessary to cover its employee retirement obligations. The hole is so deep the state has in recent years had to reserve up to $7 billion – or one-fifth of its annual operating funds – to keep pace. The plan rejected by the justices was designed to whittle down the shortfall over 30 years, gradually but significantly slicing back pension benefits by erasing a 3 percent annual adjustment. Lawmakers who spent years working toward a consensus acknowledged the ruling creates a major dilemma for new Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the General Assembly. “I’m not sure that any of the
See RULING, page A7
AP file photo
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees union members wear their protest message on their T-shirts while rallying May 23, 2012, against the proposed pension reform legislation outside the State Capitol in Springfield. The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday struck down a 2013 law that sought to fix the nation’s worst government-employee pension crisis, a ruling that forces the state to find another way to overcome a massive budget deficit.
Lawmakers weigh in on court’s ruling By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com Local lawmakers pondered what to write on the drawing board that the General Assembly must return to with the Illinois Supreme Court’s overturning of the 2013 pension reform law. In a unanimous Friday deci-
Voice your opinion Do you agree with the Illinois Supreme Court’s pension reform ruling? Vote online at NWHerald.com.
sion, the seven justices threw out the law that sought to lower ben-
efits for existing and future state government retirees as blatantly violating the Illinois Constitution clause that prevents pension benefits from being “diminished or impaired.” They also all but scoffed at the state’s argument that its sovereign “police power” to take emergency action in times of crisis allows it to override the constitu-
tional provision. For the McHenry County lawmakers who voted against the bill on the grounds that the courts would reject it, they took a moment to say “I told you so” before addressing how to fix a dire problem that now accounts for more than
See LAWMAKERS, page A5
McHenry farmer dies after being struck by motorcycle By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com RINGWOOD – A group of McHenry County farmers sat down for a somber lunch Friday to mourn the death of
their friend Thomas R. King, who was fatally struck by a motorcycle near his home Thursday night. King, 66, of unincorporated McHenry, was a sharp-witted and big-hearted man who had
SPORTS
farmed all his life, said Kevin Bauer, a neighboring farmer who was part of the lunch group that met daily at the Rusty Nail in Ringwood. “All in all, he was just the best guy,” Bauer said. “What
we’re trying to do today is get all his farming in order. We’ll get his crops in and we’ll get them out. That’s what’s best for the family.” King was struck about 8:40 p.m. Thursday in the
LOCAL NEWS
WHERE IT’S AT
Proposal discussed with board
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District 158 officials say in-school orchestra program could start next year / A3 STATE
15th straight win 3-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning gives Alden-Hebron an 11-2, 5-inning nonconference win over Woodstock / C1
Defendants avoid jail time 22 former Northern Illinois University fraternity members sentenced in hazing death / A6
3900 block of Ringwood Road by a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle headed west on Ringwood Road, police said. McHenry County Coroner Anne Majewski said King was pronounced dead at the
scene about 40 minutes later. He died of blunt force injuries to the chest, abdomen and pelvis, Majewski said. McHenry Township Fire
See FATALITY, page A4