"We really, really have to make sure we don't overstep our bounds on this," said Rep. Scott Guthrie, D-Coventry. "It's going to be very difficult voting for something knowing you're going to cause litigation."

Raimondo, a Democrat, said that while legal challenges are possible, they're not a reason to delay the work.

"We have an untenable situation," Raimondo told lawmakers. "The longer we wait, the harder it is to fix and the more painful the choices will be."

Estimates put Rhode Island's unfunded pension liability at $7 billion, slightly less than entire annual state budget. If nothing is done, the annual taxpayer contribution to the retirement plans of state workers and teachers is projected to grow from $319 million per year in 2011 to $765 million in 2015.

Raimondo and Gov. Lincoln Chafee's administration are working out the details of the proposal now, Raimondo said. She said she wants to protect the pension benefits that public workers have already earned. But going forward, Raimondo has said, she is considering a transition to more 401(k)-style retirement accounts and a temporary halt to cost-of-living pension increases.

"This is not about taking benefits away," Raimondo said. "This is about shoring up a retirement system so that people have a check when they retire."

She urged lawmakers not to tinker with her plan and to give it an up-or-down vote.

That prompted questions from some lawmakers who said they wanted to study the proposal and have an opportunity to refine it before promising to support it.

House Speaker Gordon Fox, D-Providence, offered assurances that lawmakers will have the time and input they want.

"There could be many ways to skin this cat," he said.