One local state lawmaker has decided to pass up on the state’s pension system.

But she might not have company among the legislative delegation in the area.

In Illinois, state representatives and state senators in the General Assembly, among other perks, also can participate in a state-subsidized pension system. This legislative pension system allows participating lawmakers to contribute 11.5 percent of their salary, and, depending on their length of service, can convert those contributions into lifetime pensions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.