Quinn calls for pension panel after investigations

Gov. Pat Quinn says he’ll put together a panel to review the state’s pension system following a newspaper’s investigations.

Quinn made the announcement Monday following a series of stories by the Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV.

In a story published Sunday, the Tribune reported that dozens of employees of private groups qualify for public pensions through Illinois State University even when they don’t work on campus. In October the newspaper reported that two lobbyists with no teaching experience were allowed to count past years as union employees toward state teacher pensions after substitute teaching for only one day.

Quinn says the panel will be led by a senior adviser and will suggest changes to prevent abuses of the pension system.