Gov. Pat Quinn said yesterday that he wants Illinois state legislative leaders to appoint representatives to his pension working group. Quinn made the statement, a week after the governor released a three-year budget forecast that lists pension costs as perhaps the biggest long-term obligation.

The direction of the pension panel, though, is unclear. Will the panel propose sweeping changes to the pension system -- including reductions to the benefits of current state public employees (which unions strongly oppose and may violate the state constitution)? Or will the panel stick to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse from the pension system? Either way, Quinn has made pension obligations an early priority of the new year.