McDonnell opposes police, teacher pension payments

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Tuesday formally opposed letting local governments force police, teachers and other workers to foot part of the bill for their own pensions, responding to a lobbying campaign by public employee groups who said the change amounted to a pay cut.

The budget provision would have given localities the option to mandate employees put up to 5 percent of their pay toward the retirement system, a cost now borne by the cash-strapped counties.