Kentucky Governor Vetoes Pension Bill; Special Session Looms [View all]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin on Tuesday vetoed a bill aimed at giving pension relief to some state-funded agencies struggling with ballooning retirement payments, signaling he'll call lawmakers back for a special session to wrangle again with an issue that has confounded them in recent years.

The Republican governor said he appreciated lawmakers' work but said parts of House Bill 358 "violate both the moral and legal obligation" to retirees.

In his election-year veto message, Bevin said: "HB 358 will very likely result in a suspension of pension and health insurance benefits already earned by retired employees of quasi-government agencies." But taking a more conciliatory tone, he said he's confident lawmakers will make the needed fixes in a special session that he intends to call in the coming months.

"We have a legal and a moral obligation to do what is required for our retirees," the governor said in an interview Tuesday. "And this would have ... violated that obligation. And that just isn't acceptable. And we have to get it right."

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2019-04-09/kentucky-governor-vetoes-pension-bill