SPRINGFIELD – State senators moved two somewhat similar pension proposals out of a top committee Wednesday in hopes of generating momentum on a single approach to address Illinois' worst-in-the-nation pension problem.

However, after about three hours of committee debate, several senators said they still had reservations about both plans — ranging from questions of constitutionality to estimated savings — and only gave their tentative yes votes to move the bills out of committee for more debate on the Senate floor.

The cautious approval on both plans illustrates how difficult it's been to gain lawmaker consensus on a solution to Illinois' nearly $100 billion pension problem.