Sacramento – California’s growing pension liability is threatening California’s economic future, unless elected leaders show the courage to take on needed reforms, according to Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, and Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-Dublin, who will kick off their 2018 Bipartisan Speaker Series on the topic on Monday, January 22.

On hand will be pension expert David Crane, president of Govern for California, whose mission is to support legislators willing to tackle tough fiscal issues. Crane, also a Stanford lecturer in public policy, will speak on the economic stresses that California faces with its growing pension liabilities.

“As pension liabilities continue to soar, California faces a looming fiscal crisis that could cripple California’s ability to offer basic services,” Glazer said. “This is the sleeper issue of our time, and if we don’t act on it, we will be forced to make budgetary decisions that will create extreme hardships on families across the state.”

Baker added: “Our pension system is already crowding out essential government services, and threatening our future financial health. It is our duty to put politics aside, and find a long-term solution while economic times are better. We should not kick the can down the road, and wait until economic times are worse, and the crisis deeper.”

Over the last two years, Sen. Glazer and Assemblywoman Baker have held more than a dozen bipartisan town hall meetings in an effort to break down partisan barriers to arrive at common sense solutions to California’s problems.

Senator Steve Glazer and Assemblywoman Catharine Baker

Date: Monday, January 22, 2018

Time: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Citizen participation: Q & A after presentations

Where: San Ramon City Hall, Council Chamber, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon

What: Pension Reform – Bipartisan Speaker Series