Kentucky House lawmakers held a private meeting on Tuesday to discuss the state's troubled pension system.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers met for about two hours.
Republican House Speaker Jeff Hoover said lawmakers asked questions of the state budget director and consultants who recently recommended substantial changes for the system.
Hoover said he made the meeting closed to the public so lawmakers would not have the opportunity for political grandstanding. He also said not having reporters present made lawmakers more comfortable to ask questions.
Democratic state representative Jim Wayne walked out of the meeting after his request to make it public was denied. He told reporters it was not appropriate for lawmakers to attend a private meeting to discuss a taxpayer-funded study.
House Majority Caucus Attorney Laura Hendrix said the meeting doesn’t break state law because it’s a meeting of the House Majority Caucus, which is exempt from open meetings law.
The meeting comes one day after state-funded consultants recommended eliminating 16 years' worth of cost-of-living raises for some retirees while freezing the benefits of current workers and moving them into a 401(k)-style plan.
This story will be updated.
