Jul 11 Investigations Kentucky Treasurer Seeks To Block KRS From Paying Ousted Chair’s Legal Fees Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball filed legal papers today to overturn the state pension system’s payment of $50,000 to cover the cost of its ousted chairman’s lawsuit against Gov. Matt Bevin. By James McNair Jul 11 Investigations Kentucky Treasurer Seeks To Block KRS From Paying Ousted Chair's Legal Fees James McNair
Jul 7 Investigations State Pension System Picks Up $50,000 Tab To Sue Bevin A decision by Kentucky Retirement Systems to pay the legal fees of its former chairman as he sues Gov. Matt Bevin is drawing criticism. By James McNair Jul 7 Investigations State Pension System Picks Up $50,000 Tab To Sue Bevin James McNair
Jun 17 Politics Bevin Replaces Kentucky Retirement Systems Board Gov. Matt Bevin has abolished the Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees and replaced it with a Board of Directors. By Associated Press Jun 17 Politics Bevin Replaces Kentucky Retirement Systems Board Associated Press
May 23 Politics KRS Director: Board Chair Threatened With Arrest Last week, Bevin sent Kentucky State Police troopers to a KRS board meeting in order to arrest board chair Tommy Elliott if he participated. By Ryland Barton May 23 Politics KRS Director: Board Chair Threatened With Arrest Ryland Barton
Apr 21 Politics Kentucky Retirement Systems Board Chair Defies Governor’s Order Thomas K. Elliott presided over Thursday's regularly-scheduled board meeting, a day after Bevin issued the order to oust him. By Associated Press Apr 21 Politics KRS Board Chair Defies Governor's Order Associated Press
Apr 19 Politics Despite Pension Attention In Kentucky, Transparency Bill Fails A bill that would have enacted transparency measures for Kentucky’s ailing pension systems failed to pass this session, despite a last-minute push. By Ryland Barton Apr 19 Politics Despite Pension Attention In Ky., Transparency Bill Fails Ryland Barton
Mar 15 Politics House Democrats Offer Changes To Bevin’s Budget Proposal Many of Bevin’s cuts would stay in place, but the House added to the list of programs exempt or expanded under his budget, including higher education. By Ryland Barton Mar 15 Politics House Democrats Offer Budget Alternative Ryland Barton
Dec 1 Politics State Leaders Talk Kentucky Teachers’ Pension Solutions, To No Avail If state leaders are closer to solving the crisis in the Kentucky teachers’ pension system, they’re not showing it. The system has 54 percent of the money it needs to make future payouts, a situation that has been a keen point of focus for state leaders in recent years. On Tuesday, a bipartisan task force […] By Ryland Barton Dec 1 Politics State Leaders Talk Kentucky Teachers’ Pension Solutions, To No Avail Ryland Barton
Nov 25 Politics Incoming Auditor Calls For State Pension Director’s Resignation Incoming state Auditor Mike Harmon is calling for the resignation of the executive director of the state’s most under-performing pension system. The Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees recently extended the contract of Executive Director Bill Thielen and gave him a 25 percent raise. The pension fund covers 120,000 state employees and retirees in non-hazardous […] By Ryland Barton Nov 25 Politics Incoming Auditor Calls For State Pension Director’s Resignation Ryland Barton
Oct 29 Politics Legislators Propose New Transparency Measures For Troubled Kentucky Pensions Frustrated by the lack of legislative oversight in the state’s struggling pension systems, two Republican lawmakers say they are introducing a bill to make the agencies more transparent. State Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville and Sen. Joe Bowen of Owensboro want to give four non-voting seats on the KRS board of trustees to members of […] By James McNair Oct 29 Politics Legislators Propose New Transparency Measures For Troubled Kentucky Pensions James McNair
Oct 26 Politics Big Raise for State Pension Boss Prompts Ire of Retirees, Legislators State retirees and a member of the state Senate leadership are voicing sharp displeasure with a 25 percent raise given last Friday to the top official of the financially struggling Kentucky Retirement Systems. Bill Thielen, executive director of KRS since 2011, had announced plans to retire at the end of the year, and KRS had […] By James McNair Oct 26 Politics Big Raise for State Pension Boss Prompts Ire of Retirees, Legislators James McNair
Oct 16 Politics How Candidates For Kentucky Governor Would Try To Fix The Pension System Kentucky’s next governor will inherit a financial problem too precarious to ignore — a desperately underfunded pension system. His task will be to come up with a plan to furnish hundreds of millions of dollars in increased contributions to the system serving state employees. The teacher pension system, which has about 141,000 members, needs $520 […] By Ryland Barton Oct 16 Politics How Candidates For Kentucky Governor Would Try To Fix The Pension System Ryland Barton
Oct 6 Politics State Worker Pension Plan Sees Much Lower Returns Than Others in Kentucky This story has been updated. Already home to one of the most underfunded public pension plans in the nation, Kentucky Retirement Systems is losing further ground through its investment choices. The retirement plan for state, city and county workers and retirees in Kentucky posted a puny 2 percent return on the $11.5 billion pension portion […] By James McNair Oct 6 Politics State Worker Pension Plan Sees Much Lower Returns Than Others in Kentucky James McNair
Sep 16 Politics Matt Bevin Undisturbed By State Pensions’ Alternative Investments Matt Bevin, the Republican candidate for governor, said he isn’t worried about the use of “alternative investments” by the state’s troubled pension system for public workers. Alternative investments make up about 35 percent of the Kentucky Retirement Systems fund’s assets. Managers of alternative investments generally require high fees for overseeing assets invested with hedge funds, oil […] By Ryland Barton Sep 16 Politics Matt Bevin Undisturbed By State Pensions’ Alternative Investments Ryland Barton
Sep 15 Politics Kentucky Pension Fees Much Higher Than Previously Reported One year after promising more transparency in what it pays money management firms, Kentucky’s pension plan for public employees says that its annual investment expenses are running 75 percent higher than reported in previous years. The disclosure was made last week at a meeting of the Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees, which operates one […] By James McNair Sep 15 Politics Kentucky Pension Fees Much Higher Than Previously Reported James McNair