Email from the League of Cities regarding yesterday's committee meeting.
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This e-mail was sent out to the Cities as a call to action by the League of cities.

Source: Kraig Conn<mailto:kconn@flcities.com>
House City Police/Fire Pension Bill to be considered this Friday, April 8, 2:15 pm - 5:15 pm, in the House Government Operations Subcommittee<http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Committees/committeesdetail.aspx?SessionId=66&CommitteeId=262 2>.

The House leadership wants city officials, city representatives or city lobbyists to attend this meeting to support the bill.

If a city official cannot attend and your city has a lobbyist in Tallahassee, please direct that lobbyist to appear before the subcommittee on behalf of the city and support the bill.

While the bill language has not been released, the bill should include the following reforms to city police/fire pension plans under Chapters 175/185, Florida Statutes:

Legislative Action Alert - Immediate Action Requested
1. Change current Florida Statutes requiring the provision of new, “extra” pension benefits under police/fire pensions, and allow use of insurance premium tax revenues to pay for the current plan costs.

2. Change current Florida Statutes to restrict the use of overtime, unused leave times, or other additional payments for police/fire pension determination purposes.

3. Change current Florida Statutes providing “heart and lung” disability presumptions to police/fire/corrections claiming workers’ compensation or disability pension benefits either by repealing the laws or by amending evidentiary standards and prohibiting application to users of tobacco products.

4. Change current Florida Statutes requiring the provision of a greater pension benefit when police/fire plan members agree to increasing plan member contributions.

5. Change current Florida Statutes to require accounting by police/fire boards of trustees and require board budget oversight by plan sponsors.

Conclusion: Cities are not asking for a “hand-out” from or a “bail-out” by the Legislature. Cities are asking for reasonable changes to a few state laws to “level the playing field” and allow cities, through collective bargaining, to implement police and fire pension reform at the local level.

If a city representative is unable to make it to Tallahassee on Friday, April 8, 2:15-5:15 pm, please contact members of the House Government Operations Subcommittee and tell them you support reforming police/fire pension plans under Chapters 175/185, Florida Statutes. Please contact Rachel Tala<mailto:rtala@flcities.com>, as soon as possible and let us know whether you or a representative from your city will attend Friday’s meeting.

For additional information, please contact Kraig Conn<mailto:kconn@flcities.com> or Rebecca O’Hara<mailto:rohara@flcities.com>, 800-342-8112.

YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED. YOUR VOICE IS CRITICAL.



Note: Email Addy's below were removed because LEO Affairs will only take 10 at a time!

House Government Operations Subcommittee Members:
Jimmy T. Patronis (R) (850) 488-9696
Debbie Mayfield (R) (850) 488-0952
Jeff Clemens (D) (850) 488-0260
Larry Ahern (R) (850) 488-6197
Michael Bileca (R) (850) 488-6506
Eddy Gonzalez (R) (850) 488-1683
Ana Rivas Logan (R) (850) 488-2831
Bryan Nelson (R) (850) 488-2023
Marlene O'Toole (R) (850) 488-5991
Scott Plakon (R) (850) 488-2231
Irving ''Irv'' Slosberg (D) (850) 488-1302
Dwayne Taylor (D) (850) 488-0580
Barbara Watson (D) (850) 488-0766
Alan B. Williams (D) (850) 488-1798
Dana D. Young (R) (850) 488-2770











FD Bro'