Current law allows retirees to work 960 hours per year in the public sector, but limits them on  the amount that they can earn during those hours. Their earnings, when added to their pension, can not exceed the current salary of the job from which they retired.

The bill, H 263, filed by Rep. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) on behalf of the Mass. Police Association, would have added an additional $15,000 allowable earnings on top of the maximum under the current formula. The Police Association, which had earlier endorsed Romney when he ran for Governor, had strongly lobbied Romney to sign the bill.

Instead, he sent it back to the Legislature unsigned on December 22. His message to the Legislature said: “While I support the goal to increase reliance on part-time employees (thus avoiding the need to hire full-time employees with costly benefit packages) I do not believe this is the best method to accomplish it.”