Riley to Propose Ending DROP
Governor Riley has taken up the cause of eliminating the Deferred Retirement Option Program, a recommendation that many of his opponents have cited as an easy place to “cut waste”.
Gov. Bob Riley said Thursday that he will ask lawmakers in February to repeal a pension program that gives windfall retirement payments to some longtime state employees, including teachers, to save $26 million per year.But he could face a battle with the state teachers and employees unions in doing so.
The governor made the commitment as he announced the reappointment of his Education Spending Commission, a 34-member citizen group that Riley charged Thursday to expand on the reform and cost-savings recommendations it submitted to his administration earlier this year.
Riley, a Republican, said he wants the group’s second report in December. He promised to use those recommendations to craft his agenda for the Legislature’s February session and to deal with a projected $285 million shortfall in the state school budget for fiscal year 2005.
“We’ve got to set priorities,” Riley told reporters at gathered in the Capitol. “And this group will do that.”
Other than his promise to push for the repeal of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, commonly called the DROP program, the governor made no specific policy commitments.
This was a nice benefit that the state can ill afford right now. The Governor is once again doing the right thing. Getting it through the legislature will be another matter.