Final Legislative Bulletin for 2015

THANK YOU TO OUR MANY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF RETIRED EDUCATORS!! WE DID MANAGE TO GET SOME HELP FROM THE 2015 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, ONLY BECAUSE YOU DID AS WE ASKED—YOU EMAILED AND WROTE UNTIL WE COULDN’T BE IGNORED!

This is a summary of what has happened in the past weeks—sometimes dripping like molasses, and sometimes striking like lightning.

• After our COLA bill was heard in the Senate Pensions and Labor, but not voted on, we were quite concerned.

• We planned our strategy from there by visiting several times with senators that we knew were friendly toward our cause.

• We also asked you to write to all your legislators.

• We visited one-on-one with some senators that weren’t especially friendly, but we tried to get our point across that a COLA was needed.

• Many of you came to the brunch and talked directly to your legislators or sent them notes if they didn’t attend.

• Everyone kept telling us that we had to see what the April forecast of the state’s economy would look like.

• When it came out the week after the brunch as a negative report, that is, the state would be collecting less money than had been hoped.

• At that point, we knew that a COLA was not possible, given the report and the mindset of the Appropriations Committee.

• Nancy testified at the Conference Committee of the House and Senate Budget Conference on April 17. Since we knew the COLA was dead, I made the case for a 13th check.

• Last week we made the rounds again, asking our friends in both the House and Senate to try to move others in our favor.

• Monday, we were told that we were out of the budget. We talked, and talked to any who would listen. Our friends in the legislature were also working behind the scenes.

• Steve was on the phone, dictating various message to Debbie and Julie in the office so they could send them out immediately.

• I was also sending out emails.

• On Tuesday we still thought it was gone. We talked to legislators as they came and went from their caucus.

• In the afternoon, we heard that we were in!

• By midnight on Tuesday, the budget bill had been printed, and it does have money for a 13th check. (A stipend. but they still want to call it a 13th check.) It will be just the same amounts and for the same teaching experience as past bills have been written.

• This may give you some idea of how chaotic these last days of a session can be. However, the session is over now, and it is time for thank you notes to many people.

1. The first thank you that you may want to send is to Steve Beebe. Without his advice and expertise, I feel sure that we would have lost everything. You can send them to our IRTA office and the staff can forward them on to him.

2. Next, please thank our friends in the House! They stayed with their unanimous vote for us, and really held on for us to get something.

Thank:
Chairman Tim Brown, House Ways and Means

Representative Jeff Thompson

Representative Woody Burton

Representative Marin Carbaugh

Representative Robert Cherry

Representative Douglas Gutwein

And your representative, whomever it might be. The House voted out the original bill unanimously.



Finally, thank these senators. If the Senate hadn’t agreed to the 13th check, all the other time and work would have been for nothing.

Thank:
Senator Kenley
Senator Tallian
Senator Walker
Senator Becker
Senator Leising
Senator Rogers

All can be sent to
The Honorable ________
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

If you know their home address, it will be fine to send it there.

Once more, thank you to you and all the people you asked to help. Without you, we could not have done this.

Your lobbying team