Kentucky leaders sued for teachers' pension woes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Worried about irreparable damage being done to their retirement benefits, a group of public school teachers on Tuesday asked a judge to order Kentucky's top political leaders to "perform their constitutional and statutory duties" by adequately funding the pension system.

The plaintiffs — a group of current and retired teachers — filed the lawsuit in Franklin County Circuit Court in Frankfort.

Named as defendants are Gov. Matt Bevin, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and outgoing House Speaker Greg Stumbo.

The legal salvo came a day after an oversight panel was told Kentucky's troubled pension systems continued their downward slide in 2016, with plans covering teachers and state employees losing more than $1.8 billion in value while obligations are increasing.

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