By The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD - A House committee has approved a bi-partisan pension overhaul that requires more employee contributions.

It also tests the issue of making future university and school employees pick up their own pension costs.

The bill is one of several attempts pending before lawmakers to address the state's nearly $100 billion pension crisis. The House Personnel and Pensions Committee approved it 9 to 1 on Thursday, sending it to the full House. It is sponsored by House Republican Leader Tom Cross and Democratic state Rep. Elaine Nekritz.

They say their plan would reduce the state retirement systems' debt by roughly 30 percent. It requires state employees to contribute an additional 2 percent toward pensions and generally delays cost-of-living increases until age 67, among other things.