M R TAE-News

A newspaper for Retired Education Personnel3030 DuPont Circle, Jefferson City, MO 65109 - 1-877-366-mrta (6782)

The Official Publication of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association and Public School Personnel

Volume 4

Number 8

December 2016

Happy New Year! The start of a new year means a new beginning. We have many resolutions for 2017 and we would like to share a few of them with you.

MRTA’s 2017 New Year’s Resolutions are to:

1. Promote and protect pensions, programs, and benefits of all public school personnel in retirement.

2. Restore the COLA for PSRS/PEERS retirees and for PSRS of the City of St. Louis retirees.3. Work to grow MRTA’s strength in numbers from 26,000 to over 27,000 MRTA members.4. Support an increase of work-after-retirement (W.A.R.) limitation from 550 to 800

hours.

Save the Date!Wednesday, February 15, 2017

MRTA Legislative Day at the Missouri State Capitol See page 2-3 for 2017 MRTA Legislative Platform

NEW for 2017 - get your Legislative Day t-shirt on page 4

Happy New Year!

MRTA In Motion . page 2

MRTAMissouri retired teachers association

and Public school Personnel

877-366-MRTA3030 duPont circle

Jefferson city, Mo 65109 www.Mrta.org

2017 MRTA Legislative Platform

“MRTA is independent, non-partisan and does not endorse political candidates.”

Dear Newly Elected Officials: we welcome you and remind you we are here to answer your questions on public education retirement. We are here to provide the best support for education retirees possible.

SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE ISSUES OF INTEREST TO MRTA

1. MRTA will use all available means to restore the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) which the PSRS/PEERS Board of Trustees has reduced twice in the past five years. MRTA supports the restoration of the COLA to pre-2011 levels for PSRS/PEERS of MO retirees.

2. MRTA will work to protect the Missouri public pension retirement plans as defined benefit rather than defined contribution plans.

3. MRTA supports a Cost-of-Living Adjustment increase (COLA) for the retirees of the PSRS of the City of St. Louis.

4. MRTA supports legislation to change the retiree seat on the PSRS/PEERS Board of Trustees from an ap-pointed seat to an elected seat.

5. MRTA will support the current independent governance and independent decisions in order to protect/main-tain the financial integrity of the Boards of Trustees of the following public education retirement systems: PSRS/PEERS Retirement System, PSRS of Kansas City, MO, and PSRS of the City of St. Louis.

6. MRTA supports reform of the current statutes regarding divorce of PSRS/PEERS members. MRTA supports HB 1709 of 2016 (Lair – Dist. 7) which allows for benefit pop-up.

7. MRTA supports HB 1710 of 2016 (Lair – Dist. 7) which closes a loophole used by employment services to circumvent the PSRS/PEERS 550 hours work-after-retirement (W.A.R.) law.

8. MRTA will support an increase of work-after-retirement (W.A.R.) limitation from 550 to 800 hours.

9. MRTA will work to protect/maintain access to healthcare coverage for public school retirees through the school system from which they retired as is mandated by Missouri law requiring the same premium cost and the same coverage as the active public school employees.

Contiuned on next page.

MRTA In Motion .page 3

STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES OF INTEREST TO MRTA

1. MRTA will support “equal and adequate” public school funding through full funding of the foundation formula for all public schools as mandated by the Missouri Constitution.

2. MRTA will work to protect/maintain the Missouri state income tax exemptions for public education retirees that MRTA was instrumental in obtaining in 2007 (HB444).

3. MRTA will oppose vouchers, the expansion of charter schools and the use of tax dollars for nonpublic schools.

4. MRTA will oppose any legislation that would reduce school funding such as Taxpayers Bill Of Rights (TABOR).

5. MRTA supports the current Missouri Teacher Tenure Law (Amendment 3, which would have changed the law, was defeated in 2014).

6. MRTA will support legislation to increase minimum salaries for teachers and the funding of those increases.

7. MRTA will oppose state mandated consolidation of public schools that meet state standards.

FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ISSUES OF INTEREST TO MRTA

1. MRTA will support legislation to repeal/modify the WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) and GPO (Govern-mental Pension Offset) provisions of Social Security.

2. MRTA will oppose mandatory Social Security for new educator members of PSRS of Missouri.

3. MRTA will oppose privatization of Social Security.

4. MRTA supports affordable healthcare to promote financial security for all.

5. MRTA will oppose vouchers and the use of tax dollars for nonpublic schools.

MRTA’s 2017 Legislative Moto is:

Loud, Insistent, and Persistent

Give ‘em

some

L.I.P.

MRTA In Motion . page 4

By popular demand you can now buy an MRTA t-shirt. These t-shirts are perfect for MRTA Legislative Day or for showing your MRTA pride at other events! Hurry, orders must be placed by December 31 to get them in time for Legislative Day!

The t-shirts are available in both short and long sleeve options.

Buy yours here: https://www.booster.com/mrta

MRTA T-shirts Now Available!Orders Due By December 31, 2016

Short Sleeve - $20 Long Sleeve - $25

Back