COLA FOR RETIREES HANGS IN THE BALANCE - NCRSP



NCRSP MONTHLY REPORT, May 25, 2017COLA FOR RETIREES HANGS IN THE BALANCEThe question of whether retirees will get a Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) this year rests with the NC House. Last week the NC Senate approved a version of the budget with NO COLA for retirees. Now it’s up to the House to include a COLA in its version of the budget and put the issue back in play in the House-Senate conference committee that shapes the final state budget—OR retirees will get no COLA.All retirees who wish to receive a COLA this year need to contact their House representatives immediately—especially Appropriations Committee members. (Click here to contact committee members or consult the list that appears at the end of this message.)If your Representative is not on the list, e-mail or call one of them anyway. Your message should be simple: “Dear Rep. ______________: State retirees need and deserve a Cost Of Living Adjustment so that they can afford the necessities of life. Without a COLA, inflation will continue to grind away at the retirement security of those of us who have spent our working lives in public service. How will you vote? I would appreciate a clear response. Thank you.” [Your name and town]OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES LOOMThe NC Senate not only failed to recommend a COLA, it also drafted a budget that includes other harmful provisions.Section 35.20 of the Senate budget would require that funding for all benefit increases for the state pension plan be funded in a single year with a formula that increases the cost of increased benefits such as a COLA. If enacted, this provision would make it almost impossible to get a COLA for retirees—even if investment returns on the pension fund meet or exceed the assumed rate of return.Section 35.21 of the Senate budget would eliminate retiree health care for new state hires. If enacted, this benefits cut would make it even more difficult to attract and retain quality state employees. Apparently, the senators in the majority party just don’t care.As long as the current majority party adheres to an ideology of tax cuts for the wealthy and benefit cuts for everyone else, these outrages will continue. Only a major change in the composition of the General Assembly will stop this trend.LAKE CASE DECISION MAY LEAD TO, REFUNDS? Last week a Superior Court judge ruled that the State of North Carolina has broken its agreement with state employees who signed up for the “80/20” plan as it existed in 2011—which was supposed to be premium-free for the rest of their lives. The case, named after one of the plaintiffs former Supreme Court Justice I. Beverly Lake, who sued the state in 2012 on behalf of himself and about 220,000 other state employees. If the court ruling stands, the state may owe former state employees more than $100 million, according to State Treasurer Dale Folwell. The state has not announced whether it plans to appeal the decision.NEA-R CONVENTIONThe NEA-Retired Convention for 2017 will be in Boston, Massachusetts on June 27th-28th. The convention situation this year is very different from past years. Funding—based on the availability of funds—is be provided by NCRSP for this two-day meeting. Election as a NEA-R delegate still allows a person to be a delegate to the NEA Convention. However, since NCAE has indicated that they will no longer fund retiree delegates; there will be NO FUNDING provided for retired delegates to the NEA Convention. Delegates may choose to attend the NEA Convention—but at their own expense. NCRSP regrets the necessity for this decision; however the budget will not accommodate the approximately $11,000 required to fund our delegates to the NEA Convention.The following members have been elected as NEA-Retired delegates for 2017: Terry Mitchell, Vera Taylor, John Hoffman, Agnes Chavis, Willie Ramey, Geraldine McNeill, Yvonne Hart, Robert Grau, Barbara Grau (NOTE: President Joan Bass is automatically a delegate.) Remaining elected alternates: Sandra Hatley, Lillar Barnes, Sandra Alston, Robert McLean, Yvonne Williams, LaVeta Weatherington, Jacqueline Wooten, Joyce Hooks-Hawkins, Linda Gunter, Susan Martin, Linda Davis, Dalphaline Williams, Marrion Dunn, Ira Laverne Reed, Wayne Webb, Rwanda Farrer, Margaret Campbell, Debera Cole-Jones, Donna Stepp, Tama Bouncer, Edith Williams, Sheila Mendoza, Brenda Hollowell-White.LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES EAST AND WESTNCRSP held successful Leadership Conferences in Durham, Williamston, Kinston and Lumberton on May 15-18. The western round of conferences will be held in Sylva (Region 1A, May 30), Lenoir (Region 1B, May 31) and Salisbury (Regions 2&3, June 1). It is not a requirement, but attendees are encouraged to bring their laptop computers so that they can make immediate use of the free, pre-loaded flash drives that will be given to each attendee. Among other things, the documents on the drives include program notes, reference materials and a briefing on the new NCRSP web site. APPROPIATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERSHouse Appropriations CommitteeSenior ChairmanRep. DollarNelson.Dollar@(919) 715-0795 ChairmanRep. Arp Dean.Arp@(704) 282-0416ChairmanRep. Faircloth John.Faircloth@(336) 841-4137ChairmanRep. Johnson Linda.Johnson@ (704) 932-1376ChairmanRep. Lambeth Donny.Lambeth@ (919)733-5747ChairmanRep. McGrady Chuck.McGrady@ (919)733-5956Vice Chairman Rep. BlackwellHugh.Blackwell@(919) 733-5805Vice Chairman Rep. BolesJamie.Boles@(919) 733-5903Vice Chairman Rep. BrawleyBill.Brawley@(919) 733-5800Vice Chairman Rep. BrissonWilliam.Brisson@(919) 733-5772 Vice Chairman Rep. BurrJustin.Burr@(919) 733-5908 Vice Chairman Rep. ClevelandGeorge.Cleveland@(919) 715-6707Vice Chairman Rep. DavisTed.Davis@(919) 733-5786 Vice Chairman Rep. DixonJimmy.Dixon@(919) 715-3021Vice Chairman Rep. DobsonJosh.Dobson@(919) 733-5862Vice Chairman Rep. ElmoreJeffrey.Elmore@(919) 733-5935Vice Chairman Rep. FraleyJohn.Fraley@(919) 733-5741 Vice Chairman Rep. K. HallKyle.Hall@(919) 733-5609 Vice ChairmanRep. HardisterJon.Hardister@(919) 733-5191Vice Chairman Rep. HornCraig.Horn@(919) 733-2406 Vice Chairman Rep. HurleyPat.Hurley@(919) 733-5865Vice Chairman Rep. IlerFrank.Iler@(919) 301-1450Vice Chairman Rep. JacksonDarren.Jackson@(919) 733-5974 Vice Chairman Rep. LewisDavid.Lewis@(919) 715-3015Vice Chairman Rep. MaloneChris.Malone@(919) 715-3010Vice Chairman Rep. McElraftPat.McElraft@(919) 733-6275 Vice Chairman Rep. McNeillAllen.McNeill@(919) 715-4946Vice Chairman Rep. MurphyGregory.Murphy@(919) 733-5757Vice Chairman Rep. PresnellMichelle.Presnell@(919) 733-5732Vice Chairman Rep. RiddellDennis.Riddell@(919) 733-5905Vice Chairman Rep. RossStephen.Ross@(919) 733-5820Vice Chairman Rep. SaineJason.Saine@(919) 733-5782Vice Chairman Rep. ShepardPhil.Shepard@(919) 715-9644Vice Chairman Rep. TorbettJohn.Torbett@(919) 733-5868 Vice ChairmanRep. R.TurnerRena.Turner@(919)733-5661MembersRep. AdcockGale.Adcock@(919) 733-5746Rep. AgerJohn.Ager@(919) 733-5746Rep. AutryJohn.Autry@(919) 715-0706Rep. BallCynthia.Ball@(919) 733-5860Rep. BelkMary.Belk@(919) 733-5607Rep. J. BellJohn.Bell@(919) 715-3017Rep. L. BellLarry.Bell@(919) 733-5863 Rep. BlackMaryAnn.Black@(919) 733-5872 Rep. BoswellBeverly.Boswell@(919) 733-5906 Rep. Brockman Cecil.Brockman@ (919) 733-5825 Rep. BrodyMark.Brody@(919) 715-3029 Rep. BumgardnerDana.Bumgardner@ (919) 733-5809Rep. ClampittMike.Clampitt@(919) 715-3005 Rep. ConradDebra.Conrad@(919) 733-5787Rep. CorbinKevin.Corbin@(919) 733-5859Rep. CunninghamCarla.Cunningham@ (919)733-5807Rep. DulinAndy.Dulin@(919) 715-3009Rep. EarleBeverly.Earle@(919) 715-2530 Rep. Farmer-ButterfieldJean.Farmer-Butterfield@ (919) 733-5898 Rep. FisherSusan.Fisher@(919) 715-2013 Rep. FloydElmer.Floyd@ (919)733-5959 Rep. FordCarl.Ford@(919) 733-5881 Rep. Garrison Terry.Garrison@(919) 733-5824 Rep. GillRosa.Gill@(919) 733-5880 Rep. C. Graham Charles.Graham@ (919) 715-0875Rep. G. Graham George.Graham@ (919)733-5995Rep. GrangeHolly.Grange@(919) 733-5830 Rep. Duane HallDuane.Hall@(919) 733-5755Rep. HarrisonPricey.Harrison@(919) 733-5751 Rep. HunterHoward.Hunter@(919) 733-5758 Rep. InskoVerla.Insko@(919) 733-7208 Rep. JohnJoe.John@(919) 733-5530Rep. JonesBrenden.Jones@(919) 733-5821Rep. LucasMarvin.Lucas@(919) 733-5775Rep. G. Martin Grier.Martin@(919) 733-5733Rep. Michaux Mickey.Michaux@ (919) 715-2528 Rep. MillisChris.Millis@(919) 715-9664 Rep. PierceGarland.Pierce@(919) 733-5803 Rep. Pittman Larry.Pittman@(919) 715-2009Rep. PottsLarry.Potts@(919) 715-0873Rep. QuickAmos.Quick@(919) 733-5902Rep. B. RichardsonBobbie.Richardson@ (919)715-3032 Rep. W. RichardsonWilliam.Richardson@(919)733-5601 Rep. RogersDavid.Rogers@(919) 733-5749 Rep. SaulsJohn.Sauls@(919) 715-3026 Rep. SetzerMitchell.Setzer@(919) 733-4948Rep. Speciale Michael.Speciale@(919) 733-5853Rep. Stevens Sarah.Stevens@(919) 715-1883 Rep. StricklandLarry.Strickland@(919) 733-5849Rep. TerryEvelyn.Terry@(919) 733-5777 Rep. B. TurnerBrian.Turner@(919) 715-3012 Rep. WatfordSam.Watford@(919) 715-2526Rep. WhiteDonna.White@(919) 733-5605 Rep. WillinghamShelly.Willingham@ (919)715-3014Rep. WrayMichael.Wray@(919) 733-5662Rep. YarboroughLarry.Yarborough@ (919)715-0850 Rep. ZacharyLee.Zachary@(919) 715-8361Senate Appropriations CommitteeCo-ChairmanSen. Harry BrownHarry.Brown@(919) 715-3034Co-ChairmanSen. Kathy HarringtonKathy.Harrington@(919) 733-5734Co-ChairmanSen. Brent JacksonBrent.Jackson@(919) 733-5705Sen. Chad Barefoot Chad.Barefood@(919) 715-3036Sen. Dan Blue Dan.Blue@(919) 733-5752Sen. Andrew C. BrockAndrew.Brock@(919) 715-0690Sen. Angela R. BryantAngela.Bryant@(919) 733-5878Sen. Jay J. ChaudhuriJay.Chaudhuri@(919) 715-6400Sen. Rick Gunn Rick.Gunn@(919) 301-1446Sen. Jeff Jackson Jeff.Jackson@(919) 715-8331Sen. Paul A. Lowe, Jr.Paul.Lowe@(919) 733-5620Sen. Louis Pate Louis.Pate@(919) 733-5621Sen. Bill Rabon Bill.Rabon@(919) 733-5963Sen. Shirley B. RandlemanShirley.Randleman@(919) 733-5743Sen. Gladys A. RobinsonGladys.Robinson@(919) 715-3042Sen. Norman W. SandersonNorman.Sanderson@(919) 733-5706Sen. Jeff Tarte Jeff.Tarte@(919) 715-3050Sen. Jerry W. TillmanJerry.Tillman@(919) 733-5870Sen. Tommy Tucker Tommey.Tucker@(919) 733-7659 ................
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