States act to curb 'double dipping'

USA Today reports:

States pummeled by the recession and heavy job losses are moving to bar government employees from "double dipping" — the practice of collecting a pension and a paycheck at the same time.

The new rules are meant to curb employees from retiring only to return to their old jobs. They come at a time when unemployment has climbed to its highest level in 25 years.

It's impossible to determine exactly how many government employees also collect pension benefits, but some of the states that studied the issue have identified thousands of workers.

"We have to fix the mess we've made," says Utah state Sen. Daniel Liljenquist, the chairman of a committee that oversees the state's pension system.