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Emanuel Praises Lawmakers For Overriding Rauner Veto Of Pension Relief Plan

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel applauded Illinois lawmakers Tuesday, a day after the legislature overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of legislation to provide the city with short-term relief in funding police and fire pensions.

The override came thanks to three House Republicans bucking the governor and siding with majority Democrats on the plan to allow reduced city payments to the two pension funds for each of the next five years.

Emanuel rejected the governor's suggestion that by approving the pension changes over his veto, lawmakers allowed the city to keep kicking the can down the road. The mayor said the city is actually taking responsibility for past pension mistakes.

"We did not, in the past, fund police and fire pensions; and in the budget we passed in the City Council in October, we finally stepped up and actually started to fund police and fire pensions. We did it in a way that's actually being done by … all the funds in the state, on a 40-year payment plan," he said.

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Over the weekend, Rauner defended his veto, saying estimates showed further delaying payments to the pension systems would cost taxpayers $18.6 billion in additional interest payments by 2055.

"That bill represents everything that's been done wrong in the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago for decades. It represents every reason why we've created the financial crisis we have today," the governor said.

However, Emanuel said the legislation represents the city correcting past mistakes and taking financial responsibility, just as it did earlier this month with a deal to shore up the Laborers Pension Fund.

"These are three pensions now that have a revenue source, an ability to pay them, meet our obligations, and what I call a responsible way by all to meet those obligations," he said.

The mayor acknowledged tax money would be needed to make the required pension payments, but he said that's just being honest with taxpayers.

The plan reduces the city's required payments to the police and fire pension funds by $1 billion over the next five years, to a total of $3.63 billion. It also extends the timeline for reaching a 90 percent funding level from 2040 to 2055.

Emanuel had lambasted Rauner for vetoing the legislation, saying it would have forced a $300 million property tax hike if lawmakers had not been able to override him.

The mayor said he hopes lawmakers will hold firm, and also approve a state budget that adequately funds public schools.

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