Steven Gassenberger
Policy Analyst, Pension Integrity Project, Reason Foundation
Steven Gassenberger is a policy analyst with Reason Foundation's Pension Integrity Project.
Prior to joining Reason Foundation, Gassenberger worked as a consumer advocacy manager for Xerox Corporation, specializing in financial consumer regulation and compliance. He also worked as a senior associate for Stateside Associates, where he developed state-level management strategies for a variety of policy areas. Prior to that, Gassenberger held positions at the National Breast Cancer Coalition and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
At Reason, Gassenberger has contributed to in-depth analysis of the Arkansas TRS, Florida FRS, Louisiana LASERS, Louisiana TRSL, Mississippi PERS, Montana MPERS, Montana TRS, New Mexico ERB, New Mexico PERA, North Dakota PERS, Texas ERS, and Texas TRS pension systems.
Gassenberger has also presented testimony in Montana, Nebraska, and Texas during state pension reform efforts.
His work has been published in The Wall Street Journal and Business Observer.
Gassenberger recently shared the stage at the Pelican Institute’s Solutions Summit 2.0 with Louisiana State Senator Barrow Peacock, Michigan State Senator Phil Pavlov, and Jonathan Williams, Chief Economist at The American Legislative Exchange Council in discussing “Fostering a Sustainable System for Louisiana.”
Gassenberger graduated from the University of New Orleans with a BA in international relations and received an MA in public policy from Tel Aviv University.
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Taxpayers shouldn’t bail out the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana without reform
State lawmakers have approved a pair of measures that, while seemingly helpful, could ultimately burden taxpayers without solving the underlying problems.
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Montana’s proposed regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles needs reform
Montana’s Senate Bill 67 attempts to provide a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, but the proposal conflicts with best practices learned in other states.
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Mississippi adopts hybrid retirement design in major pension reform
A sustainable new “hybrid” retirement design has been adopted, but major funding and design issues remain for 2026.
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Mississippi PERS’ $25 billion problem
Mississippi's state-run retirement system has only about half of what experts project is needed to pay retirees.
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A new and necessary approach for Mississippi’s public pension
The Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System needs more money to meet its promises to active and retired public workers long-term.
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PERS’ state of play after the 2024 Mississippi legislative session
The Mississippi Public Employee Retirement System is $25.5 billion in debt and has only 56.1% of what is needed to meet long-term obligations.
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Modernizing PERS to serve Mississippi’s public workforce
Over the last decade, Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi data has shown a significant increase in the rate at which public employees are quitting.
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Louisiana legislature wants to use education-related funds to pay for teacher pensions without fixing core problem
The move undermines the financial resilience of Louisiana's largest public pension system.
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Is private equity a public financial hazard?
Private equity funds lack clear return and risk metrics, making it hard to assess performance before investments are redeemed, often a decade or more after the initial investment.
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Delaying Mississippi PERS reform will increase cost to taxpayers
PERS faces a $25.5 billion shortfall largely due to unfunded benefit increases, investment underperformance, and insufficient employer contributions.
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Mississippi lawmakers can take the best from other successful state pension reforms
Texas, Arizona, North Dakota and Michigan are among the states passing reforms to reduce public pension costs and debt while keeping promises to public workers.
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House Bill 2854 threatens Oklahoma’s pension progress
House Bill 2854 would re-expose Oklahoma to unnecessary unfunded liabilities, financial risks, and hidden costs that would ultimately be borne by taxpayers.
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Pennsylvania’s proposed pension bills don’t meet best practices for cost-of-living adjustments
The result would be another level of unfunded liabilities that must be paid for by Pennsylvania taxpayers.
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Texas Proposition 9 (2023): Amends the state constitution to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to teachers
Prop. 9 would increase benefits and long-term liabilities of the Texas Teacher Retirement System, which currently holds $63 billion in unfunded liabilities.
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Texas legislature should prioritize open enrollment and TRS reform in special session
School choice and public school advocates should agree to let students attend any public school with open seats and address the Teacher Retirement System's $63 billion debt.
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Texas legislature continues bipartisan push to modernize public retirement benefits
But the state’s most intractable public pension challenge—addressing the Teacher Retirement System’s $51 billion of debt and unsustainable fiscal path—remains.
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Montana makes public pension progress but major opportunities remain
The major policies adopted this spring will help protect the state's public pensions.
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“The Liability Trap” authors’ critique of pension fiduciary model misses the mark
Requiring a fiduciary responsible for public dollars to adhere to objective criteria and remain oriented towards achieving the pecuniary goals of the pension trust is the most basic policy.
