Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City.
By Leisa Zigman I-Team Reporter
St. Louis (KSDK) - As Missouri lawmakers continue to cut basic services and funds, The I-Team has been digging up details about a sweetheart deal legislators cut for themselves.
Missouri lawmakers work part time, serving about five months a year. Yet records show on average, their pension is 30 percent higher than state workers. The reason: special rules that lawmakers wrote for themselves.
This January, Missouri's latest pension reforms took effect. The changes are expected to save the state $660 million over the next decade.
But what you might not have realized is that the lawmakers writing and passing those rules had no intention of playing by those rules.
Former State Rep. Gina Walsh a Democrat from North County served on the retirement committee when the reforms were passed.
"The rules are different if you are a legislator," said Walsh.
Rep. Stephen Webber (D) of District 23 covers Columbia, Missouri. He agreed saying, "Politicians vote to give themselves a better deal than everyone else. And it justifies everybody's lack of faith in the political process."
Under the reforms, retirement for new state workers jumps from age 62 to 67 the highest in the nation, tied with Illinois.
But, the rules are different and more favorable for Missouri's elected officials. Members of the General Assembly can retire five years earlier, at age 62.
While employees have to now work 10 years to be fully vested, legislators only need to work for six. Statewide elected officials, such as the Governor or State Auditor are vested after 4 years. The state workers are the people who keep our government running, fix state highways, and care for veterans.
"If you are working in a veteran's home you are physically moving people around. You are feeding them and you are showering them. If you are a state representative you are literally just sitting in a chair pushing buttons. Five months a year for part-time job," said Rep. Webber.
Rep. Webber calls the new pension reform "mind blowing hypocrisy." But, he points out the reforms had bi-partisan support.
"Look at the first page of this bill. In the first page of this bill we draw two categories. The categories are those people who are elected officials and everybody else," he said.
The I-Team reached out to several state lawmakers who voted for the reform but none responded.
Since lawmakers were avoiding our calls, we went to Jefferson City to knock on some doors. Minority floor leader (D) Mike Talboy of Kansas City explained reform was needed and lawmakers voted for it with bi-partisan support because it was tied to a jobs bill.
"I would have voted for it if the retirement age was 70," said Talboy.
Former Lawmaker Gina Walsh continues to rail against the two tier system.
"What is good for the goose is good for the gander. I just didn't feel that our pension should be so out of line with other state employees. My mother is a state employee. She is 73-years-old and if you saw her W-2 you would be mortified," said Walsh.
The average pension for a state worker retiring in 2010 was $15,302. The average pension for state lawmakers in 2010 was $19,731.
Ten states do not give pensions to lawmakers, including California, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Alabama.
Rep. Webber says sacrifice in these tough economic times is necessary. But when the sacrifice isn't shared by lawmakers that, he says, are hypocrisy.
He plans to file new reforms this upcoming session however, he knows the reality of it passing.
"When politicians carve themselves a sweetheart deal, they don't let it go very easily," said Rep. Webber.
Illinois Lawmakers return to Springfield Tuesday for the continuation of its veto session. Lawmakers are debating a massive overhaul of its pension system. We'll be watching to see what if anything, they do.
KSDK