Bill would stop Illinois lawmakers from getting public pensions Bill would stop Illinois lawmakers from getting public pensions State lawmakers have significantly abused and underfunded their own pension system. Ending it would be a plus, but only a constitutional amendment will stop pension debt from swallowing Illinois. In the gaping pit of Illinois public pension debt, the worst of the five systems neglected by state lawmakers is the one they created for themselves – the General Assembly Retirement System. It has only 17% of the money the state projects it will need to pay out lawmaker pensions. But a bill in the Illinois House proposes lawmakers do not try to fix the system, but rather start to put it out of taxpayers’ misery.