Police officers are no longer allowed to “double dip” with pensions in Illinois.
Governor Bruce Rauner came to Naperville to sign House Bill 418 into law.
The bill, sponsored by State Representative Grant Wehrli and State Senator Michael Connelly, means that if an officer retires from one active duty job and then starts another with a different pension, the officer cannot keep both pensions.
But those officers can choose to contribute to 401k-style retirement plans in their second job.
“Local units of government are seeing those dollars that should be allocated for other services going to fund pensions,” said Wehrli, a Republican representing District 41. “That’s crowding out things like teachers, first responders, salt for roads. So basic essential services are under increasing pressure to fund these pensions. Also, the taxpayers are under an ever-growing financial obligation to fund these pensions.”
“We want to protect our pension benefits, make sure they are there in full for folks when they retire,” said Rauner. “But we also want to make sure that the system is fair for taxpayers and is sustainable in the long run.”
The idea for the bill came about after a 2012 dispute regarding Naperville Police Chief Bob Marshall.
He retired from the police force then returned several years later, earning pensions for both positions.
He will continue to do so, as the bill is not retroactive.
Wehrli says he hopes to introduce similar legislation to prevent double dipping in other careers in the future.
Naperville News 17’s Beth Bria reports.
