Governor Pat Quinn went months without meeting with members of the special legislative committee formed to draft a new pension plan. But he has ramped up efforts this month.
It was Quinn's idea to form a conference committee, to bridge differences between the House and Senate over how to reduce Illinois' $100 billion pension debt.
But the ten members of that panel say other than phone calls welcoming them to the committee, he was absent from their talks from June on, leading to criticisms like this, from Rep. Jil Tracy, a Republican from Quincy.
"It's a financial crisis like we've never seen in Illinois before. We want the governor engaged."
The governor's office says Quinn is now taking a more hands on approach. He's met so far with four Democratic legislators on the committee, and he'll soon talk with some of the panel's Republican members.
A spokesman also confirms that Quinn met recently with the legislative leaders about pensions.
With the conference committee still unable to reach a consensus, the leaders may hold the key to what happens to Illinois' retirement systems.