Update to Legislative Update

This is an update to Legislative Update #7

March 26, 2015

            CALL TO ACTION!                                             CALL TO ACTION!

Members, we are now at the point where we need to make it known how many are watching what the Senate will do with HB 1481, the COLA bill. It was heard yesterday in the Pensions and Labor Committee. We testified for it; however, the chairman did not take a vote on it, but we hope that it will be reassigned to the Appropriations Committee for further discussion. We are in the process of trying to talk to each member on that committee.

NOW, IT IS TIME FOR EACH OF YOU TO HELP US BY CONTACTING THE PRESIDENT PRO-TEM OF THE SENATE, SENATOR DAVID LONG.

Letters and emails should be short, polite, and firm: Use only one or two of these bullet points:

• There is money in the INPRS budget for a COLA because the actuaries have put in a 1 % assumption that we would be getting a COLA.
• This assumption has been there each year, even the last six when we did not get a COLA.
• Even though the school corporations pay this extra 1%, it has been put toward the unfunded liability, one that was created by former administrations—not by teachers or school corporations.
• Inflation over the last six plus years has taken away about 13 % of our purchasing power.
• We spend this money in our communities and pay taxes on it, as do the business people from whom we purchase food, medicine, etc. (Put in places where you spend much of your money.)
• A COLA in this biennium will only set back the final pay-off of the unfunded liability a few months further than as if we got nothing.
• There are 12,936 Indiana retired teachers from the pre-’96 fund who get $1000 or less in their monthly pension. They deserve some help as inflation eats away at these small amounts.

And PLEASE, find five to ten others that will also write to the Senator. We must let the Republican caucus in the Senate know that we are strong and determined. We are not asking for much, and the members of the House acknowledge that. It is time that the Senate does also!
Letters should be addressed to:

The Honorable David Long
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

emails should go to: Senator.Long@iga.in.gov

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Legislative Update #7

March 24, 2015

Hello:

We wanted to update you on what is going on in the legislature this week. Movement is beginning again on Bills in the Senate. Senator Boots, chair of Pensions and Labor committee, has scheduled HB1481 to be heard tomorrow (Wednesday, March 25) at 9:00 A.M. At this time we have heard various rumors such as: it will be heard with no action; heard and voted on; heard and amended from a COLA to a 13th check…. Nancy will testify on behalf of the bill moving forward with the COLA, but will support the 13th check if it is amended and ask for the amount of the checks to be raised, since they have not been for many years.

Steve, Nancy, and I have been meeting with Senators on the Pensions and Labor committee and Senate Appropriations on behalf of the COLA in HB1481. We have been sharing the information that the 1% COLA formula will cost less than the assumption INPRS established when presenting the 1% COLA for the biennium. That savings can be used to pay down the pre-96 unfunded liability, while still giving a very modest increase on our base pensions. We are attaching a letter that Nancy and Steve put together that was mailed to all senators and senators on the Pensions and Labor Committee also received an email copy.

Final decisions on bills with cost factors and their effect on the general fund will not be finalized until the April Revenue Forecast is received. We are confident that the last two weeks of the session will be very busy. Once we see the how HB1481 stands after the committee hearing, we will be targeting the Senate Appropriation Committee members with meetings.

You will receive another update later this week after we see what shape HB1481 is in after the hearing. If you talk, see, or write to your senators, please encourage them to support HB1481.

Thank you for your continued work on the committee and the support of our legislative agenda.

Sincerely,

Nancy, Tom and Steve

Change of Speaker for April 16

We have a change in the speaker for our AREA April 16, 2015 meeting. Dr. Jacobson, Dean of Ball State University Teachers College, was to speak. I received a phone call, and he has to attend a conference on Research in Chicago that day. He does want to speak at one of our meetings, but we will have to wait until next year because we are already booked for our June 16 meeting. One of the former students in the Ball State Teachers College Immersive Learning program, Abigail Savage, will be speaking at our June 16 meeting, as scheduled. Abby often presents with Dr. Jacobson.

Never fear!! We have a great program for April 16! Our own Pam George will be presenting a Power Point on her three week mission trip to Kenya last fall. She had some wonderful experiences. Thanks, Pam. We won't have to wait until next year to hear about your trip!

Members, the next AREA Newsletter about our April 16 meeting will be arriving in your mailbox soon! Make sure that the date is on your calendar! Try to bring a non-member or a member who has not attended in awhile!

Carol Buttell, President

Legislative News

Legislative News!!

A bill to give a COLA for the next two years passed the House on third reading on Wednesday afternoon. It passed 94 to 0!

It will now go to the Senate, where Senator Boots is the sponsor and Senator Tallian is the second sponsor. Please write to them to express your appreciation for their sponsorship.

If you have not yet thanked the House members who sponsored and worked on our bills, please do so now.

Senator Boots: Senator.Boots@iga.in.gov
Senator Tallian: s4@iga.in.gov

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