< 25 Top Pension Power Players
13. Jerry Brown
Governor of California
California’s Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, didn’t hesitate before signing into law the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program, which is rattling money managers. Now California will have a state-run retirement plan for private sector employees, giving 7 million workers without a retirement plan a low-cost way to save — a model that other governors may advocate for their own states. Brown, 78, who was elected to a historic fourth term in 2014, supported the initiative led by State Senator Kevin de León (No. 10), countering money managers’ arguments that such a plan could leave taxpayers with the bill in the case of shortfalls. He has also backed the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s phase-in of a lower discount rate — the assumed rate of return on plan assets — providing a more accurate account of liabilities. — Julie Segal
 
The 2017 Pension Political Power 25
  
Secretary of Labor Governor of Illinois Secretary of Education Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation Secretary of the Treasury  | 
Secretary of Commerce California Chief Justice Speaker of the House Founder, SkyBridge Capital California State Senator and President Pro Tempore  | 
Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security President, New Jersey State Senate Governor of California Co-founder, Avenue Strategies President, Elliott Management Corp.  | 
Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce U.S. Senator Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen Governor of Wisconsin President, AFL-CIO  | 
Mayor of Dallas U.S. Senator Partner, Davis & Harman U.S. Senator President, American Federation of Teachers  | 
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