Gov. Bob McDonnell is proposing a 3 percent bonus for state employees in December 2012.

The announcement Thursday came just hours after the governor
unveiled the largest investment ever into the public employee pension fund, a $2.2 billion effort to shore up Virginia's underfunded retirement system.

McDonnell told 32 handpicked employees from throughout state
government that he hopes to save enough money to provide nearly $80 million for the bonus.

It's similar to the one-time bonus state workers received in
2010 after state agencies found savings totaling nearly $175
million.

Like the earlier bonus, next year's bonus will not permanently increase salaries.

State employees have gone years without a permanent pay raise.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)