As the General Assembly resumes its debate over pensions — who should get one, who shouldn’t and how should Kentucky pay for what’s owed — public records show that some of state government’s larger pensions belong to current and former legislators, who serve part-time at the Capitol.
There are 186 retired legislators drawing pensions from their own separately managed retirement system, with an average annual payout of $23,934. (They also get free health insurance for themselves and their dependents.) By comparison, the average payout from the largest pension fund for retired state government workers is $21,587. For retired local government workers, it’s $11,739.