Nine years after Utah lawmakers voted to reform the state’s public pension system — moving away from guaranteed benefits toward a 401(k) model — the Utah Senate is poised to approve an infusion of $5.3 million into the retirement benefits of police officers and firefighters.
Senators gave a preliminary 25-3 vote on Monday in favor of SB129, amid concerns that the bill’s use of one-time money leaves the future stability of the program uncertain and ultimately forces municipalities to pay the long-term costs of increased retirement benefits.
“I’m a little concerned that we’re not having much of that debate today,” said Sen.