Raimondo not predicting outcome of pension lawsuit
As might be expected for an elected official, state Treasurer Gina Raimondo isn’t making any bold predictions about the outcome of a court case challenging last year’s pension overhaul.
In an interview broadcast yesterday on RIPR, Raimondo took a different tack from the NEARI’s Bob Walsh (he’s forecasting a big win for the unions).
Raimondo says her office will work energetically to defend the overhaul, but she adds:
“I think it’s premature to say precisely what the winning arguments are in this case.”
Raimondo wouldn’t go so far as to predict an outcome. The treasurer does warn, however, of a sharp impact if the state winds up losing in court:
“If this law is overturned, the state will send a bill this fiscal year to municipalities of about $102 million. That means a $13 million bill to the City of Providence, an $11 million bill to the City of Cranston, $7 million bill to Pawtucket, $6 million bill to Woonsocket. So the numbers are substantial . . .”
The litigation by a series of unions is moving into the discovery phase. Superior Court Judge Sarah Taft-Carter is expected to make a decision in the case before the start of the next fiscal year on July 1, 2013.
On Politics has moved!
Let’s hope the courts have the common sense to let the reform stand.
What the state did to its pension system was clearly illegal, since they intentionally avoided meaningful negotiation with the unions on issues that clearly needed to be negotiated over. The courts will throw out most, if not all, of the pension “reform” that was passed late last year.
Henry
Let’s hope the courts side with the workers!