When states constitutionally protect public pensions, municipal bankruptcies may be the only legal channel to adjust benefits. Federal bankruptcy rulings (e.g., Detroit, Stockton) suggest the Bankruptcy Code can override state pension protections under the Supremacy Clause.
— This frames looming pension crises as federal–state law conflicts and points to bankruptcy access as a decisive governance lever.
Aaron M. Renn
2025.10.16
82% relevant
The article highlights Illinois Supreme Court interpretations that prevent reducing even future accruals for existing employees and reports a unanimous legislative sweetener, underscoring how state constitutional protections can block benefit trims and push cities toward insolvency—the precise tension that makes Chapter 9 the only viable legal channel to adjust pensions.
Austin Berg
2025.08.25
100% relevant
The article argues Chicago needs Chapter 9 authority and cites Detroit and Stockton opinions to restructure pensions despite Illinois’s 'pension protection' clause.
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