State lawmakers make a couple decisions Wednesday affecting the future of your retirement.  The state Senate hopes one bill will help unfunded police and firefighter pension liabilities.  "It gives them a chance basically to change and stop the hemorrhaging and get their financial house in order," explains Governor Joe Manchin.  "So I think it's a good start.  It's a big problem, but it's a good start for that problem."

But in Clarksburg, officials say their pension plans are already well funded and they will have to discuss being a part of the new, voluntary plan.  "Our plan would have survived, I believe, either way," says Clarksburg Fire Department pension board member Danny Hamrick.  "Some of the plans, especially in the southern part of the state, were in bad shape.  So they had to come up with something or they were not going to survive."

State officials in Charleston made another decision concerning retirement funds and this one may affect the future of your child's education.  "All we're doing is trying to give all county boards of education a relief for one year and basically try to fix the problem as we come back into the session," says Governor Manchin.

But the state Senate turned down Governor Manchin's plan for Other Post-Employment Benefit costs.  The reason?  They say they wanted a longer-term plan.  This action shocked Harrison County School Superintendent Susan Collins.  "I don't think it's anyone's plan or anyone's hope that we will have to go to litigation, but as you know 49 out of the 55 counties have voted through their boards of education to move forward with this if no action is taken," says Collins.

So with one group getting a new pension plan and another seemingly getting nothing for now, funding your retirement continues to be an urgent issue not only nationally, but right in our backyard.  "I think every county will have to change their structure of what we do as far as any extra spending," explains Collins.

Governor Manchin remains optimistic about passing a bill to alleviate the financial burden placed on local school boards.