Over the next few weeks, we're taking a closer look at the mounting debt California faces in covering public employees' pensions. As Capital Public Radio's Ashley Gross explains, it was during the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s when the state chose to make these benefits a lot more generous. It was a decision with lasting implications.
This story is part of a series examining California's pension crisis. It's a collaboration between CALMatters, The Los Angeles Times, and Capital Public Radio. For More information, go to Capradio.org.