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Capitol View®
Tom Scheck

Dayton opposes pension change for commissioner

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Gov. Mark Dayton opposes a measure that would allow a longtime Hennepin County Commissioner to change his pension.

Dayton spokesman Matt Swenson said the governor does not support a bill that would allow Hennepin County Commissioner Randy Johnson to switch from a 401(k)-style pension to a defined benefit retirement plan. 

The Minnesota House and Senate both passed language that allows Johnson, 67, to buy into the pension plan despite opting out twice over the past three decades. Swenson said Dayton opposes the measure because it “sets a bad precedent.” MPR News first reported about this issue on Friday. 

The bill’s backers say Johnson should be allowed to buy into the pension as long as he pays the past pension costs to join - roughly $615,000. But the Public Employee Retirement Association's Board of Trustees opposes the measure.

The board too is worried about the precedent it would set.