| Notice: If you are a Pre-1969 member and need a complete summary of this meeting, please contact a member of the Coordinating Committee. Following are the major items covered at the meeting: 1. PENSION COMMISSION. The PC is made up of 5 senators and 5 representatives; Larry Pogemiller is the chair. In the Senate, the members are the same as last year: Sens. Don Betzold, Keith Langseth, Cal Larson, Geoff Michel, and Larry Pogemiller. In the House, returning members are Reps. Mary Murphy and Steve Smith. The three new members are: Reps. Dennis Ozment of Farmington, Paul Thissen of South Minneapolis, and Lynn Wardlow of Eagan. 2. REGARDING THE FUNDING FOR OUR BILL. The value of the active fund will increase over time; this increase will easily cover our legislation. Our bill will not diminish the future pensions of active teachers; teachers will still get the amount that is projected and printed on their annual notice from TRA. The transfer of funds required by our bill would be about 1.2% of the actuarial assets of TRA. 3. EQUITY. IMP teachers had two choices and the rest of us did not. 4. PENSION COMMISSION RULINGS. Many legislators are waiting for the recommendation of the Pension Commission; they say that that if our bill passes out of the PC they will support us. 5. MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS. In the last few weeks our volunteer lobbyists, Tom S. and Rick W. have met with many legislators. 6. PLAN TO LOBBY PENSION COMMISSION MEMBERS. A plan was developed to contact/lobby PC members. 7. LOBBYING LEGISLATORS. When teachers contact legislators, they should write or talk to them. Many legislators do not like e-mail. Stress the inequity issue: IMP teachers got 2 choices at retirement; we got only 1. An analogy to use is this: Upon retirement, if you are a secondary teacher you have the option to select one of TWO choices for your pension. If you are an elementary teacher, you have the option of selecting only ONE choice for your pension. 8. REAM. Rick W. will talk to the current president of REAM about what REAM is saying about us. REAM does not support or endorse individual issues. 9. SUPPORT OF EDUCATION MINNESOTA RETIRED. At the annual meeting on March 18, 2005, EMR voted to SUPPORT our bills. See the resolution at our website: www.geocities.com/pre69teachers/info 10. PENSION COMMISSION TIMELINES. The goal of the PC is to complete its work by April 12. Once the PC passes the Omnibus Pension bill, normal procedure is for it to go to the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee and the House Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs Committee. The next scheduled meeting of the Pre-1969 Teachers' Coordinating Committee is April 14. |
| Summary of March 21st Coordinating Committee Meeting |
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