MACOMB – The Illinois Supreme Court announced on Friday that SB 1- the Pension Reform Bill passed in December 2013 was found Unconstitutional and struck down.
In issuing the ruling, the court opined the following, “The financial challenges facing state and local governments in Illinois are well known and significant. In ruling as we have today, we do not mean to minimize the gravity of the State’s problems or the magnitude of the difficulty facing our elected representatives. It is our obligation, however, just as it is theirs, to ensure that the law is followed. That is true at all times. It is especially important in times of crisis when, as this case demonstrates, even clear principles and long-standing precedent are threatened. Crisis is not an excuse to abandon the rule of law. It is a summons to defend it. How we respond is the measure of our commitment to the principles of justice we are sworn to uphold.”
State Representative Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) had voted NO on SB 1, citing Constitutional concerns, “it was long believed that this would be the result of this legislation. I had Constitutional concerns over the legality of this bill, but now the Supreme Court has confirmed my thinking on this important issue. At least now there is a ruling by the Court and we can get back to the hard work of trying to rectify our State’s financial situation within the confines of our State Constitution,” said Rep. Hammond.
Hammond encouraged residents of the 93rd district to contact her with questions or concerns on this or any other state issue. Hammond’s Macomb district office can be contacted at (309) 836-2707 and she can be reached via e-mail at rephammond@macomb.com. Constituents can also visit her legislative website at www.norinehammond.org to sign up for her electronic newsletter.
Hammond represents all or part of Brown, Cass, Fulton, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Schuyler and Warren counties.
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