pension and health benefits reforms

On Tuesday, a Superior Court judge is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a lawsuit seeking to force Gov. Chris Christie to pay an additional $1.8 billion into the public employees' pension fund in the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a case that could force Christie to contribute and extra $1.6 billion into the system by midnight June 30.

New Jersey's top court weighed the budget repercussions of ruling on a pension dispute between Gov. Chris Christie and public workers' unions on Wednesday while one justice wondered if the state had engaged in a "bait and switch."

There is some concern among state worker union members that they could face public backlash if the Christie administration is ordered to make a hefty payment to the public worker pension system.

As part of an overall plan to reduce debt, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has proposed reforms to the state workers' pension system by giving employees and unions more control over the pension funds.

Spiraling retiree and health care costs are draining state budgets, including New Jersey's.