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Senate rejects substitute retirement/mobility bill after fiscal debate
Summary
The Senate debated and then rejected a substitute to House Bill 138 that would have reinstated teacher mobility provisions and allowed a 25‑year opt‑out for certain public employees; the vote failed amid concerns about $11–13 million in ongoing costs.
A substitute to House Bill 138 — a measure that would reinstate school transfer/mobility provisions and include an opt‑out retirement option for eligible public employees after 25 years — failed on the Senate floor on March 3, 1993, after extended debate over its fiscal impact.
Senator Steele circulated amendments intended to reinstate schools and restore elements of the original House bill. Senator Stevenson voiced support for the amendment restoring school mobility but questioned whether the bill’s overall costs were affordable. Senator Hillier pressed sponsors on the fiscal note, citing figures in the transcript that referenced about $11 million to $13 million in ongoing costs; other senators said the updated fiscal estimate for state employees was smaller if implementation dates changed, but several remained unconvinced the bill could be funded internally.
"I'm sympathetic to the retirement program you talk about, but only if it's funded internally," Senator Hilliard said, explaining he would vote against the bill until convinced it did not create broader system problems. Senator McAllister and others said they lacked sufficient time and fiscal detail to support the measure.
After roll call, the clerk announced the substitute showed 12 ayes and 17 nays; the bill failed and will be filed. Senators on both sides said they would continue working on mobility concerns and on funding options outside the current bill text.
The floor debate underscored the Senate’s emphasis on fiscal certainty for retirement and benefit changes and the difficulty of advancing benefit expansions late in a session without clearly identified offsets.
