03-31-2010, 05:15 PM
Where to begin? Over the last two weeks, we have seen more than our share of bad legislation targeting you and your family. I like lists, so here’s one which lays out all the pending issues that can have a negative impact on you:
1) Three Retirement Bills that target both the municipal and state pensions (HB 1319, HB 1543, and SB 1902). After the phone and email blitz last Wednesday, HB 1319 and HB 1543 were withdrawn from further consideration. SB 1902 was postponed until a later date so it is still lingering out there. More information on page 7.
2) House of Representatives passed a budget conforming bill (HB 5701) that will eliminate the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy for all retirees by December 31, 2010. The Florida PBA publicly opposed the bill, but it passed on a party line vote (11-6) with all Democrats voting against the bill. See vote history on pages 5 and 6.
3) Senate Budget Chairman JD Alexander filed SB 2022 which will require every single active member of the Florida Retirement System to Contribute a quarter percentage point into their retirement account. This requirement applies to all active members, DROP participants, and members participating in the FRS investment plan. See next page for the vote history.
4) House Budget will enact a 3% across the board salary reduction for all state employees. This issue is unique because it pushes the decision to the department and agency levels for the first time instead leaving the
Matt Puckett
Deputy Executive Director
300 East Brevard Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. 850.222.3329 • http://www.flpba.org 2
reductions to the Legislature. In the past, the Legislature would simply include proviso language that either cut, or increased salaries. Now under this plan a department or agency could implement the reduction by cutting salaries, positions, or furloughs. Of course any reduction is subject to the collective bargaining process.
5) The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved an amendment to close down three facilities and transfer the inmates to the privately operated Blackwater River Correctional Institution in Santa Rosa County. The amendment would also privatize 1,350 additional beds at existing Department of Corrections Institutions. See two articles about this sneaky deal on pages 13 through 17.
Vote History for SB 2022
Here is the list of Senators voting on SB 2022 – requiring every active FRS employee to contribute 0.25% towards his or her retirement account. The bill has been removed from all committees of reference and is on the March 31, 2010 Special Order Calendar in the Senate.
Name
VOTE
Email
Phone
Alexander, JD (Chair)
YES
(850) 487-5044
Deutch, Ted (Vice Chair)
NO
(850) 487-5091
Altman, Thad
YES
(850) 487-5053
Baker, Carey
YES
(850) 487-5014
Bennett, Michael 'Mike'
YES
(850) 487-5078
Crist, Victor
YES
(850) 487-5068
Diaz de la Portilla, Alex
YES
(850) 487-5109
Fasano, Mike
YES
(850) 487-5062
Gaetz, Don
YES
(850) 487-5009
Garcia, Rudy
YES
(850) 487-5106
Gelber, Dan
NO
(850) 487-5121
Haridopolos, Mike
YES
(850) 487-5056
Hill, Anthony C. 'Tony'
NO
(850) 487-5024
Justice, Charlie
NO
(850) 487-5075
Lawson Jr., Alfred 'Al'
NO
(850) 487-5004
Lynn, Evelyn J.
NO
(850) 487-5033
Negron, Joe
YES
(850) 487-5088
Peaden, Jr., Durell
YES
(850) 487-5000
Rich, Nan
NO
(850) 487-5103
Siplin, Gary
YES
(850) 487-5190
Sobel, Eleanor
NO
(850) 487-5097
Thrasher, John
YES
(850) 487-5030
Villalobos, J. Alex
YES
(850) 487-5130
Wilson, Frederica S.
NO
(850) 487-5116
Wise, Stephen R.
YES
(850) 487-5027
Vote History for HB 5701
Here is the list of Representatives voting on HB 5701 – eliminating the Health Insurance Subsidy for all FRS employees and retirees effective December 31, 2010. The bill has been removed from all committees of reference and is on the March 31, 2010 Special Order Calendar in the House.
Name
VOTE
Email
Phone
Rivera, David (Chair)
YES
(850) 488-7897
Reagan, Ron (Vice Chair)
YES
(850) 921-7747
Saunders, Ron (Minority Ranking Member)
NO
(850) 488-9965 l
Adams, Sandra
YES
(850) 488-0468
Bogdanoff, Ellyn
YES
(850) 488-0635
Brisé, Ronald
NO
(850) 488-4233
Chestnut, Charles
NO
(850) 488-5794
Flores, Anitere
YES
(850) 488-2831
Galvano, Bill
YES
(850) 488-4086
Gibbons, Joe
NO
(850) 488-0145
Glorioso, Rich
YES
(850) 488-0807
Grimsley, Denise
YES
(850) 488-3457
Hays, Alan
YES
(850) 488-0348
Poppell, L. Ralph
YES
(850) 488-3006
Proctor, Bill
YES
(850) 488-2977
Skidmore, Kelly
NO
(850) 488-1302
Thompson (G), Geraldine
NO
(850) 488-0760
Weatherford, Will W.
YES
(850) 488-5744
PBA Fighting to Protect You
Every single member of the PBA deserves a tremendous pat on the back and a pay raise and increase to their retirement contribution rate. You all did a superb job with our call to action on PBA D-Day. The email servers and phone lines were completely shutdown. Great job!
I wish I could say it was over, but there is still so much more to do. Here’s another list (I told you I like lists):
1) The three pension bills (HB 1319, HB 1543, and SB 1902) are 2/3 of the way dead, but SB 1902 still has some life. This bill, as currently proposed, will reduce your retirement calculation down to only base salary. That applies to everyone in both municipal and state pension plans. It will not retroactively take away previously earned calculations, but from July 1, 2010 forward, it will only allow base salary to be included in your average final compensation. It also allows cities to close Defined Benefit Plans in favor of Defined Contribution Plans. The cities would be able to require increased employee contributions without increasing the benefits and plan participants would no longer be able to hold a majority of the seats on the pension board of trustees. We need to stop it in the Community Affairs Committee (Senator Bennett is the bill sponsor and also the Community Affairs Committee Chairman).
2) SB 2022 is still very much alive. It will receive a Senate Floor vote this week. Barring a change of heart, it will probably pass on a close vote along party lines. That’s an educated guess based on the committee vote from last week. After that, it will become part of the package heading towards the conferencing process between the House and Senate. If we have a chance to truly stop it, conference is the place.
3) The salary reduction is in the same boat as the SB 2022. It will go to conferencing and that’s our best chance to kill it.
4) Health Insurance Subsidy (HB 5701) is also in this above referenced boat and conference is our best shot to stop it.
300 East Brevard Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. 850.222.3329 • http://www.flpba.org 8
5) Blackwater River Correctional Institution amendment is one that we have a chance to stop on the floor of the Senate. We believe, had the vote on the amendment gone to a roll call vote instead of a voice vote, the amendment would have died in committee. No matter what happens, we will force the Legislature to take a roll call vote on this issue. Senator Al Lawson is filing an amendment to strip this language out of the budget.
That’s where we stand as of today. Nothing is safe until April 30th, the end of session, so let’s keep the pressure on the Legislature. We are working on amendments to address each of these issues, or we are working to outright kill the legislation. Please stay informed as all of this moves forward.
1) Three Retirement Bills that target both the municipal and state pensions (HB 1319, HB 1543, and SB 1902). After the phone and email blitz last Wednesday, HB 1319 and HB 1543 were withdrawn from further consideration. SB 1902 was postponed until a later date so it is still lingering out there. More information on page 7.
2) House of Representatives passed a budget conforming bill (HB 5701) that will eliminate the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy for all retirees by December 31, 2010. The Florida PBA publicly opposed the bill, but it passed on a party line vote (11-6) with all Democrats voting against the bill. See vote history on pages 5 and 6.
3) Senate Budget Chairman JD Alexander filed SB 2022 which will require every single active member of the Florida Retirement System to Contribute a quarter percentage point into their retirement account. This requirement applies to all active members, DROP participants, and members participating in the FRS investment plan. See next page for the vote history.
4) House Budget will enact a 3% across the board salary reduction for all state employees. This issue is unique because it pushes the decision to the department and agency levels for the first time instead leaving the
Matt Puckett
Deputy Executive Director
300 East Brevard Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. 850.222.3329 • http://www.flpba.org 2
reductions to the Legislature. In the past, the Legislature would simply include proviso language that either cut, or increased salaries. Now under this plan a department or agency could implement the reduction by cutting salaries, positions, or furloughs. Of course any reduction is subject to the collective bargaining process.
5) The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved an amendment to close down three facilities and transfer the inmates to the privately operated Blackwater River Correctional Institution in Santa Rosa County. The amendment would also privatize 1,350 additional beds at existing Department of Corrections Institutions. See two articles about this sneaky deal on pages 13 through 17.
Vote History for SB 2022
Here is the list of Senators voting on SB 2022 – requiring every active FRS employee to contribute 0.25% towards his or her retirement account. The bill has been removed from all committees of reference and is on the March 31, 2010 Special Order Calendar in the Senate.
Name
VOTE
Phone
Alexander, JD (Chair)
YES
(850) 487-5044
Deutch, Ted (Vice Chair)
NO
(850) 487-5091
Altman, Thad
YES
(850) 487-5053
Baker, Carey
YES
(850) 487-5014
Bennett, Michael 'Mike'
YES
(850) 487-5078
Crist, Victor
YES
(850) 487-5068
Diaz de la Portilla, Alex
YES
(850) 487-5109
Fasano, Mike
YES
(850) 487-5062
Gaetz, Don
YES
(850) 487-5009
Garcia, Rudy
YES
(850) 487-5106
Gelber, Dan
NO
(850) 487-5121
Haridopolos, Mike
YES
(850) 487-5056
Hill, Anthony C. 'Tony'
NO
(850) 487-5024
Justice, Charlie
NO
(850) 487-5075
Lawson Jr., Alfred 'Al'
NO
(850) 487-5004
Lynn, Evelyn J.
NO
(850) 487-5033
Negron, Joe
YES
(850) 487-5088
Peaden, Jr., Durell
YES
(850) 487-5000
Rich, Nan
NO
(850) 487-5103
Siplin, Gary
YES
(850) 487-5190
Sobel, Eleanor
NO
(850) 487-5097
Thrasher, John
YES
(850) 487-5030
Villalobos, J. Alex
YES
(850) 487-5130
Wilson, Frederica S.
NO
(850) 487-5116
Wise, Stephen R.
YES
(850) 487-5027
Vote History for HB 5701
Here is the list of Representatives voting on HB 5701 – eliminating the Health Insurance Subsidy for all FRS employees and retirees effective December 31, 2010. The bill has been removed from all committees of reference and is on the March 31, 2010 Special Order Calendar in the House.
Name
VOTE
Phone
Rivera, David (Chair)
YES
(850) 488-7897
Reagan, Ron (Vice Chair)
YES
(850) 921-7747
Saunders, Ron (Minority Ranking Member)
NO
(850) 488-9965 l
Adams, Sandra
YES
(850) 488-0468
Bogdanoff, Ellyn
YES
(850) 488-0635
Brisé, Ronald
NO
(850) 488-4233
Chestnut, Charles
NO
(850) 488-5794
Flores, Anitere
YES
(850) 488-2831
Galvano, Bill
YES
(850) 488-4086
Gibbons, Joe
NO
(850) 488-0145
Glorioso, Rich
YES
(850) 488-0807
Grimsley, Denise
YES
(850) 488-3457
Hays, Alan
YES
(850) 488-0348
Poppell, L. Ralph
YES
(850) 488-3006
Proctor, Bill
YES
(850) 488-2977
Skidmore, Kelly
NO
(850) 488-1302
Thompson (G), Geraldine
NO
(850) 488-0760
Weatherford, Will W.
YES
(850) 488-5744
PBA Fighting to Protect You
Every single member of the PBA deserves a tremendous pat on the back and a pay raise and increase to their retirement contribution rate. You all did a superb job with our call to action on PBA D-Day. The email servers and phone lines were completely shutdown. Great job!
I wish I could say it was over, but there is still so much more to do. Here’s another list (I told you I like lists):
1) The three pension bills (HB 1319, HB 1543, and SB 1902) are 2/3 of the way dead, but SB 1902 still has some life. This bill, as currently proposed, will reduce your retirement calculation down to only base salary. That applies to everyone in both municipal and state pension plans. It will not retroactively take away previously earned calculations, but from July 1, 2010 forward, it will only allow base salary to be included in your average final compensation. It also allows cities to close Defined Benefit Plans in favor of Defined Contribution Plans. The cities would be able to require increased employee contributions without increasing the benefits and plan participants would no longer be able to hold a majority of the seats on the pension board of trustees. We need to stop it in the Community Affairs Committee (Senator Bennett is the bill sponsor and also the Community Affairs Committee Chairman).
2) SB 2022 is still very much alive. It will receive a Senate Floor vote this week. Barring a change of heart, it will probably pass on a close vote along party lines. That’s an educated guess based on the committee vote from last week. After that, it will become part of the package heading towards the conferencing process between the House and Senate. If we have a chance to truly stop it, conference is the place.
3) The salary reduction is in the same boat as the SB 2022. It will go to conferencing and that’s our best chance to kill it.
4) Health Insurance Subsidy (HB 5701) is also in this above referenced boat and conference is our best shot to stop it.
300 East Brevard Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. 850.222.3329 • http://www.flpba.org 8
5) Blackwater River Correctional Institution amendment is one that we have a chance to stop on the floor of the Senate. We believe, had the vote on the amendment gone to a roll call vote instead of a voice vote, the amendment would have died in committee. No matter what happens, we will force the Legislature to take a roll call vote on this issue. Senator Al Lawson is filing an amendment to strip this language out of the budget.
That’s where we stand as of today. Nothing is safe until April 30th, the end of session, so let’s keep the pressure on the Legislature. We are working on amendments to address each of these issues, or we are working to outright kill the legislation. Please stay informed as all of this moves forward.