The latest lawsuit to block Illinois' new pension law seeks to preserve benefits of the State Universities Retirement System.
University of Illinois and Parkland College employees filed the complaint late last week in Champaign County Circuit Court. It's the fifth lawsuit challenging the pension plan. It also involves the State Universities Annuitants Association. Executive Director Linda Brookhart says there are differences in SURS when compared to the lawsuits filed by retired teachers and government workers. While the intent is the same, Brookhart says this one means to protect the three types of pension plans for current and retired state university workers: "They're supposed to sign what they call a contract, which is irrevocable, so they can't ever change their mind if they decide down the road if they want to change that pension that they're in. And then they have the money purchase formula, which none of the other systems have either."
Brookhart says it was important to file in Champaign County since the U of I, Parkland College, and SURS are all locally based. Lawyers for other retiree groups want to consolidate the other four lawsuits, and bring their cases as one. The other four law-suits have already been combined and will be heard in Sangamon County.
