The Illinois House of Representatives passed a pension-overhaul plan Thursday that would cut retiree benefits and increase required employee contributions, in the biggest move yet toward addressing the nation's worst state-pension crisis.

While the debate about Medicaid expansion continues on in several states, a recent study reveals that new beneficiaries may use their new health coverage more often, but won't actually be much healthier because of it.

The House tentatively approved two bills Wednesday that would roll back lawmakers' reliance on dedicated funds to balance the budget.

A third of Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting 22-18 against an amendment that would have banned new state workers, teachers and county workers from joining the state's $132 billion pension system, and steer them instead toward private, 401(k)-style investment plans, shifting the risk from taxpayers to workers.

Even as lawmakers were reining in the use of "capital-appreciation bonds" -- which became notorious when one San Diego-area district revealed that it was making a $1 billion interest payment on a $105 million debt -- the state Senate advanced an ill-defined new "bond" plan to provide schools with a fresh source of cash.

Closing the gap to achieve fiscal balance over 50 years will require "action to be taken today and maintained for each year equivalent to a 14.2 percent reduction in the state and local government sector's current expenditures." 

In attempts to reign in the costs of pensions, state lawmakers legislate pension reform. Challengers to those reforms often bring suit, alleging violations of state law, contracts, and the Constitution.

Gov. John Hickenlooper on Monday signed into law a $20.5 billion state budget for next year, lauding the measure as both "prudent" and "forward looking" as it doles out cash to public schools and offers slight pay increases for state employees. Democrats, who control both chambers and the governor's office, passed the budget bill in the Senate on a party-line vote with all Republicans in opposition. And in the House, just nine Republican lawmakers signed on in support of the bill.

Resolving the state budget is becoming more challenging, with signs that tax revenue collections will be sluggish for the key month of April, a top Senate Republican leader said Monday.

The Hawaii State Legislature today voted unanimously in both the House and Senate to approve the state budget for the upcoming FY2013-2015 biennium.