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Colorado Business Wins ACA Birth Control Mandate Ruling

"A U.S. district judge in Colorado ... blocked the Obama administration from enforcing its requirement that a Colorado employer provide its workers with insurance coverage of contraceptives without a co-pay.... The ruling applies to one specific business, and does not stop the whole rule from going into effect [on August 1]. 'On balance, the threatened harm to plaintiffs, impingement of their right to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and the concomitant public interest in that right strongly favor the entry of injunctive relief,' Judge John L. Kane, an appointee of former President Jimmy Carter, wrote in the order."

Landmark Prudential, GM Deal Seen As Opening Floodgates for U.S. Pension Transfers

"[GM] said it will move $26 billion of pension liabilities off its balance sheet by the end of the year ... largely by transferring the plan to a group annuity operated by Prudential.... The deal, a common practice in Great Britain, is expected to be the largest pension-risk transfer made in the United States, industry analysts say. And it's also expected to be the catalyst for more deals to come."

Legislators Vow to Challenge N.J. Supreme Court Ruling on Judicial Pensions, Benefits

"[New Jersey legislators] are seeking a measure that would give them the authority to amend judicial salaries for taking contributions from justices' and certain judges' salaries for employee benefits. The Constitution, written in 1947, prohibits the salaries of Superior Court judges and Supreme Court justices from being 'diminished' while they are on the bench."

N.J. Pension Reform Deal Reached Between Governor and Top Lawmakers

The legislation would force public employees to pay more for their pensions and health benefits and push back their retirement age.

New Jersey not Making Its Share of Pension Contribution

The pension reform passed last year helped lower the state's unfunded pension liability from $53.9 billion to $36.3 billion, but the state's pension hole grew by $5.5 billion by the end of the 2011 budget year, largely because the state failed to make a pension payment, an annual actuarial report on the pension funds shows, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

New Jersey Employers Lead Nation in Hiking Employees' Share of Healthcare Costs

"Large companies across the country have been scaling back on what they contribute to their workers' health care plans, and the sharpest decline has been in New Jersey ... As a result, workers [in New Jersey] are having to pay bigger chunks of their health insurance costs than rate increases alone would suggest. It's not likely to be welcome news in the Garden State, which has some of the steepest health insurance costs in the country."

New Jersey Public Employees Retiring at Slower Pace

"After two years in which teachers, cops, firefighters and other public workers headed for the exits in record numbers as Trenton took aim at their pensions and benefits, the pace of retirements has slowed drastically, the latest records show. A total of 13,865 local and state public workers are expected to call it quits this year, significantly fewer than the 19,585 who retired last year, when Gov. Chris Christie and lawmakers forced them to pick up a greater share of their health and pension costs[.]"

New Jersey Governor's Office Unveils Early Retirement Plan

Excerpt: After months of anticipation, the Corzine administration today finally made public its controversial early retirement plan. Available online, the plan would produce about $136 million in immediate budget savings, and more savings in future years, if officials do not refill the vacated positions. However, the plan also would expand long-term pension liabilities by several hundred million dollars.

New Jersey Paid Family Leave Program Wins Approval in Senate

Excerpt: New Jersey would become the state second in the nation to offer employees a paid family leave program under a bill the state Senate approved today despite dire predictions from opponents who said New Jersey cannot afford it.

New Jersey Politicians Grandfather Own Benefits But Limit Those of New Workers

"[Figures obtained as part of a Star-Ledger analysis of sick and vacation time records for lawmakers and other public employees across the state] show that politicians can reap generous rewards from the same system they are charged with policing. The payouts also take sizable chunks out of local budgets that are already under duress."