SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Pat Quinn announced what could be a significant advance on pension reform, saying Friday that the powerful House speaker was willing to forgo the dicey issue of some retirement costs for teachers in order to fix the worst-in-the-nation pension deficit.

A spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan confirmed the agreement, markedly raising Quinn’s hopes of getting a pension deal before the current General Assembly finishes its work Wednesday.

The Democratic governor told reporters after a meeting with Republicans in Wheaton that he will meet with legislative leaders today to try to reach a deal on closing a $96 billion funding gap.