03/11/10

BOISE, Idaho (AP) _ The Idaho House voted 64-0 to ban sweetheart
pension deals like the one Gov. C.L. ``Butch'' Otter's
administration gave an outgoing employee in 2009.

The measure, which now goes to the Senate, would forbid deals
like the one that sent Division of Human Resources chief Judie
Wright into early retirement with an extra $72,781 in her Public
Employee Retirement System of Idaho fund.

The state already forbids severance; such pension packages
remain legal.

Rep. Anne Pasley-Stuart, a Boise Democrat, called Wright's
payments _ and others like them that cost Idaho taxpayers a
combined $125,000 last year _ an outrage for state workers who are
now taking furloughs, or worse, losing their jobs.

Even though Otter approved Wright's pension payments, his budget
chief, Wayne Hammon, says the Republican now backs ending the
practice.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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