Objective

As the state’s financial crisis worsened, a central issue affecting municipal budgets was the urgent need for legislative action to control skyrocketing public safety pension costs, which had put many communities on the brink of bankruptcy. Given the strong political influence of public safety unions in Springfield, the passage of meaningful pension reform remained an uphill battle for Illinois communities. To tackle this challenge, the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) partnered with CG&A to execute a highly tailored public affairs campaign – the first step was the creation of the Pension Fairness Coalition, a group representing more than 200 Illinois municipalities and business organizations seeking critical pension reform legislation.

Action

CG&A positioned the Coalition for legislative success by developing compelling key messages that distilled highly complex information and resonated with the media, elected officials and taxpayers alike. These messages gave the Pension Fairness Coalition a powerful and unified voice in Springfield, resulting in more than 20 editorials in favor of public safety pension reform in major newspapers, including the Chicago Sun-Times, State Journal-Register and the Daily Herald.

CG&A coordinated press conferences at the State Capitol in which dozens of mayors and business leaders from across Illinois made urgent appeals to legislators to enact important reform measures. Media coverage blanketed the state with hundreds of broadcast, online and print placements from Rockford to Carbondale, and throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

Results

CG&A helped the Coalition achieve a legislative victory when a pension reform bill passed with overwhelming support in the Illinois General Assembly. The bill became law in January 2011, resulting in a critical first step of reform that will bring relief to communities and taxpayers across the state.