Illinois is broke, but some well-pensioned, well-insured judges and lawmakers can't be bothered. Hey, what would reforms do for them?

The Chicago Tribune has an editorial on public pension reform in Illinois:

Government employees unions have vowed to sue if legislators and Quinn reduce their pension benefits. The Illinois Judges Association, which represents 1,250 active and retired judges, indicates it may file a lawsuit too.

Association President Carol Pope, a 4th District Appellate Court judge based in Springfield, wrote in a recent newsletter that her organization would explore "what contractual and constitutional challenges are viable along with the estimated cost of litigation." She cited Senate Bill 1313, now on Quinn's desk, which ends the virtually free health care enjoyed by state and university retirees, General Assembly members and ... judges.

The judges aren't happy. They face the possibility of actually having to pay for all or part of their health care premiums. So they're considering their legal options.

Take a moment to digest that: If the judges sue the state, they get to rule on their own suit.

Wonder which way they'll rule? Wonder whether their sympathies lie with taxpayers or with themselves? We'll see, won't we.

Government workers vs. taxpayers.