As health reform continues to be a hot
topic each legislative session, recently University of Hawaii Faculty Members
and other public employees received welcomed news from the State Court. In an extremely important decision the Court
upheld a critical assumption that public employee retirees have a constitutional
right to continuing health benefits.
The Court reviewed statutory and
constitutional issues and sought to offer interpretations of the statutes that
would be construed in a manner that makes them constitutional. While this Court opinion reinforces Hawaii’s
non-impairment provision and protects accrued benefits, it does not prohibit
the State legislature from reducing benefits for prospective employees.
For
details on this decision see related item below:
State of
Hawaii First Circuit Court
Court’s
decision: Civil No. 07-1-1872
July 23, 2008)
