An Orange County legislator is among several Republican politicians who today announced their support for a pension reform plan proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Assemblyman Don Wagner (R-Irvine) joined other GOP lawmakers at a press conference in Sacramento at which the group came out in favor of the 12-point plan. Wagner is coauthoring the bill with principal author Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita).

Brown's proposal would, among other changes, cut benefits for new hires and require public employees to pay more toward their retirement.

Wagner called the plan "a small step in the overdue effort to bring the state’s pensions to a more realistic level."

“This bill puts forth reform ideas that the Republican Caucus has advocated for years,” he said. “It’s great to see the Governor’s willingness to adopt these measures. I look forward to supporting the bill on the Floor and hope that the Democrats will themselves eventually come behind the governor and these modest reforms.”

However, the reform plan would only be a "start towards resolving the state’s enormous unfunded pension liability," Wagner said.

He said that other proposals could also help address the problem, including his bill capping state pensions at $100,000, a bill by Assemblyman Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills) to bring state pensions more in line with those available in the private sector, and a bill by Jim Silva (R-Huntington Beach) ending automatic cost-of-living adjustments for local government employees who are members of the state's retirement program for teachers.

A Los Angeles Times article called the move by Republican lawmakers a "political curveball," especially as no Democratic lawmakers have volunteered to formally introduce the governor's proposal.

Wagner represents the 70th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes parts of Irvine, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Woods, Tustin and surrounding areas.