Editorial Questions Approval Pace of Pension Reform Bill

According to a Contra Costa Times editorial, lawmakers "had no idea what they were approving" when they recently passed a public pension reform bill (AB 340). The editorial states, "Within a 72-hour period, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released sketchy details, the 60-page bill was posted on the Internet, a committee hearing was held and the Legislature approved it." It adds that "serious problems with the bill" already have been discovered, which "is what happens when a few people develop legislation in secret and lawmakers ram it through without meaningful public review."

• "Contra Costa Times Editorial: Flawed Pension Reform Bill Result of Flawed Process" (Contra Costa Times, 9/4).