Senate Considers Changing Rules That Boost Lawmakers’ Pensions

One Senator says it qualifies as the dirty little secret of state government. And he wants it ended. Senator Matt Bartle of Lee’s Summit says the Legislature must step in and stop former lawmakers from serving only a short time as administrative law judges to get big jumps in their pensions. Last year’s top Democrat in the Senate, Ken Jacob of Columbia, stepped down early to take such a position, serving only three months and receiving a $20,000 jump in his pension. Bartle says the Jacob case got the publicity, but it wasn’t the best example of how corrupt the system is. Bartle wants to adjust the current system. Another Senator wants to abolish it, arguing administrative law judges should be placed in the regular state worker pension system.