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Promoting & Protecting the Economic Well-Being & Quality of Life for All Retired School & Public Employees |
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Hadlie Rittgers-1st , Eads Elementary, Eads, CO-$75.00 Savings Bond Kaylee Wilson, 2nd , Eads Elementary, Eads, CO-$50.00 Savings Bond
Northern Division Eleanna LaRae Roster-1st, Limon Middle School, Limon, CO-$75.00 Savings Bond Cannan Bennett-2nd, Limon Middle School, Limon, CO-$50.00 Savings Bond
Metro Division Foster Martelon-1st , Pine Lane Intermediate School, Parker, CO-$75.00 Savings Bond Maggie McGee-2nd, Pine Lane Intermediate School, Parker, CO-$50.00 Savings Bond
Western Division- Tessa Heydiner-1st, Byfield Elementary School, Bayfield, CO-$75.00 Savings Bond No 2nd place application
April 25, 2012 The Birnadine Mack Foundation is proud to announce this year's scholarship recipients. These four will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship to further their education. Just a reminder for everyone that our Birnadine Mack Breakfast will be held on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. at the Embassy Suites in Colorado Springs followed by our Annual Meeting.
March 1, 2012 more than a hundred of you showed up for the House Finance committee and it made a difference!
While the outcome today wasn't completely what we wanted your voices were heard and both bills were amended to deal with many of the issues your emails raised.
The bottom line is after both being amended HB 1150 & HB 1142 passed out of committee on party line votes.
House Bill 1150, which would change the way an employee's highest average salary is calculated from 3 years to 7 years, was amended to only effect non-vested employees. This means those who have been with PERA for fewer than five years and any new hires would be affected if this bill passed. Once the bill was amended it passed on a party line vote with the Republicans voting to send the bill to the House floor and the Democrats joining us in opposing the bill.
House Bill 1142, which would allow all employees the ability to choose a defined contribution plan instead of the defined benefit plan, was also amended to only include non-vested employees. Once the bill was amended it too passed on a party line vote. The Republicans on the committee voted to send the bill to House Appropriations where the committee will review the new fiscal note that must be created because of the amendment.
We also still have House Bill 1179 waiting for the House Finance committee to reschedule it for a vote. Listed below are the names and emails of the House Finance Committee. Please let them know your thoughts on what was voted on this week and what an impact this will have on PERA. Representative DelGrosso - Chair (R-Loveland) brian@briandelgrosso.com. Keith Swerdfeger – Vice Chair (R-Pueblo West) keith.swerdfeger.house@state.co.us. Cindy Acree (R-Aurora) cindy.acree.house@state.co.us. Don Beezley (R-Broomfield) don.beezley.house@state.co.us. Kathleen Conti (R-Littleton) kathleen.conti.house@state.co.us. Dickie Lee Hullinghorst (D-Longmont) dl.hullinghorst.house@state.co.us. Janak Joshi (R-Colorado Springs) janak.joshi.house@state.co.us. Daniel Kagan (D-Greenwood Village) repkagan@gmail.com. John Kefalas (D-Ft. Collins) john.kefalas.house@state.co.us. Jeanne Labuda (D-Denver) jeanne.labuda.house@state.co.us. Beth McCann (D-Denver) beth.mccann.house@state.co.us. Dan Pabon (D-Denver) dan.pabon.house@state.co.us. Spencer Swalm (R-Centennial) spencer.swalm.house@state.co.us.
LEGISLATION INTRODUCED There are now five PERA related bills at the legislature and more are expected. Here is a brief description of each bill. If you want more details, go to the Colorado General Assembly website and look up the bills listed. The position given is that of the CSPERA Board. Senate Bill 16 allows employers in the Local Government division to "swap" up to 2.5% of their required contribution to PERA onto to the employees. This bill is similar to a bill that was defeated last year that applied to School Districts. CSPERA opposes Senate Bill 82 makes employees hired after Jan. 1, 2013, makes PERA retirement eligibility based upon when that person would be able to retire under Social Security. CCRS opposes. This bill would use Social Security as the basis for retirement age when the SS age is set based on its inadequate funding and inappropriate use of SS funds by the Congress. It is illogical to use SS as the "standard" for other pension plans. CSPERA opposes. Senate Bill 84 makes PERA information on elected officials and cabinet members public. This information would include name, position held, salary, amount of employer and employee contributions paid, age at retirement, highest average salary, and amount of benefits paid. CSPEA opposes this bill. House Bill 1142 requires that all PERA members be given the option to participate in the DC plan instead of the DB plan, as new state and college employees may now do. CSPERA opposes. House Bill 1150 changes Highest Average Salary calculation from three years to seven years for those who retire after Jan. 1, 2013. CSPERA opposes. All of these bills would undo the shared sacrifice that we worked so hard to maintain in Senate Bill 1 passed in 2010.
About CSPERA Our efforts in legislation, health issues, retirement seminars, membership workshops, leadership training, volunteerism and communications are geared toward maintaining a high standard of living for Colorado retirees. The Colorado School and Public Employees Retirement Association was found in 1950 as a means of addressing the concerns of all retired school employees in Colorado. With expanded membership, our current mission is to promote the personal, social, educational interests and economic security of retired PERA employees.
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Highlights from the 2012 March CSPERA Newsletter
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