Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, testifies during a House committee hearing at the Illinois State Capitol Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, in Springfield Ill. The long-awaited plan to address Illinois' $96 billion pension problem cleared an early hurdle as the Illinois House committee approved a proposal that freezes cost-of-living increases and calls for higher employee contributions.
Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, testifies during a House committee hearing at the Illinois State Capitol Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, in Springfield Ill. The long-awaited plan to address Illinois&#039; $96 billion pension problem cleared an early hurdle as the Illinois House committee approved a proposal that freezes cost-of-living increases and calls for higher employee contributions. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)