Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Houston’s Pension Reform Bill

HOUSTON, TX — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Houston’s controversial pension reform bill into law Wednesday in Austin, a day after the the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund filed a lawsuit challenging the bill, asserting that it violates the Texas constitution.

The pension reform package, which was passed by the House on May 24, will go into effect July 1, and will slash future employee benefits by $8.1 billion over 30 years. (Want to get daily updates about traffic news and other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Houston Patch morning newsletter.)

Mayor Sylvester Turner presented the pension reform plan to representatives of the Houston Police and Houston Fire Department, and to Houston Municipal Employees in late 2016.

In January, Turner, a former state legislator, presented his plan to state leaders when the legislature convened.

The plan went through several rounds of debate before receiving approval from the House and Senate last week.

Read Also: Houston’s Pension Reform Bill Passed In Texas House

While the final version of the bill received support from Houston Police and Houston Municipal employees, the firefighters contend that the plan wasn’t fair to firefighters, and filed their lawsuit the day before the bill was signed into law, KPRC reported.

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