Tag Archives: PERS

Governor considers taking $1.4 billion from SAIF workers comp surplus to reduce pension costs

Gov. Kate Brown is considering selling the state’s workers compensation insurance corporation or tapping its substantial capital surplus to hold down future pension costs for school districts around the state, according to documents obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive under a public records request. Source: Governor considers taking $1.4 billion from SAIF workers comp surplus to reduce […]
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Editorial: Healthy PERS is good business

One of Oregon’s leading business organizations, the Oregon Business Council, is poised to go where the Legislature won’t. Members of the council, which includes leadership of some of the state’s largest businesses, are talking seriously about a 2020 ballot measure designed to cut the $27 billion unfunded liability in the state’s Public Employees Retirement System. […]
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PERS’ unfunded liability grew by $4.3 billion in 2018. And the situation may be worse than it appears.

The number crunchers for Oregon’s public pension system are set to deliver a status check to the system’s board Friday, and the prognosis is not good. The Public Employees Retirement System, like investors everywhere, had a tough 2018. Source: PERS’ unfunded liability grew by $4.3 billion in 2018. And the situation may be worse than […]
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Oregon PERS: Poor returns last year portend bigger deficit, higher costs in 2021

The pension fund’s full-year return was 0.48 percent, preliminary results show, falling well short of its assumed earnings rate of 7.2 percent. Source: Oregon PERS: Poor returns last year portend bigger deficit, higher costs in 2021

Democratic supermajority pushing laws that will stifle economic growth

The 2019 legislative session has begun. Sadly, Governor Kate Brown and the Democrat supermajority are pushing to pass laws that will reward special interests, stifle economic growth, and make it harder for working Oregonians to get ahead. Source: Democratic supermajority pushing laws that will stifle economic growth

Editorial: Legislature again faces PERS issues

It seems as if the Oregon Legislature may be following the lead of Gov. Kate Brown in dealing with the problems associated with the state’s public pension system. Last week, in her inaugural speech, Brown outlined her ambitious goals for the legislative session that got underway earlier this week. One of the issues that didn’t […]
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More money for schools is meaningless without controlling PERS costs

Several members of the Portland Public Schools Community Budget Review Committee recently co-authored an essay entitled, “The under-funding of schools must end.” The authors assume that all money problems at public schools are the result of insufficient tax support; but the reality is that schools have been unable to control costs, especially related to pensions. […]
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Oregon PERS: Here’s the new crop of pension bills for the 2019 session

Lawmakers have once again introduced a raft of bills designed to temper some of the cost increases taking place in Oregon’s public pension system, but its’s unclear many will get a hearing, much less a vote. Source: Oregon PERS: Here’s the new crop of pension bills for the 2019 session

Editorial: Where are Brown’s PERS solutions?

It’s the start of another legislative session, and the soaring cost of the state’s public pension system is, again, a problem that demands lawmakers’ immediate attention. So what are the Democrats in control of the governor’s office and both houses of the Legislature planning to do about it? Precious little. They have announced no measures […]
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Latest warning for Oregon PERS: negative cash flow

Warnings about Oregon’s public pension system have been relentlessly consistent for nearly two decades. But a deficit of roughly $26 billion, seesawing financial markets and years of political inaction continue to drive painful cost increases for schools, municipalities and government employers across the state. Source: Latest warning for Oregon PERS: negative cash flow | oregonlive.com