TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - An appeal of a ruling that struck down a requirement for public employees to contribute to their pensions is going to the Florida Supreme Court.

    
The 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday agreed to send the state's appeal directly to the justices.

    
That was a victory for the Florida Education Association and other public employee unions that challenged the new law.

    
It was a defeat for the state, which wanted the appellate court to make its own ruling.

    
The law requires public employees to contribute 3 percent of their pay to the Florida Retirement System.

That includes teachers, law enforcement officers and other state and county employees as well as some city workers.

    
A trial judge ruled the law violated employees' property, contract and collective bargaining rights.