Be Alerted to Updates to This Page

Enter your email address:

Subscribe to the Inside Line

99% of these updates are originally sent to Inside Line subscribers. If you aren't receiving the Inside Line and would like to, please click here.

Legislative Updates

Legislative Update No. 28, Session 79
By Tim Lee, Executive DirectorPrinter Friendly ||| Print as PDF

May 27, 2005

Your Calls and Emails are Still Needed

TRTA is watching the Texas Senate closely as time is winding down for action to be taken on legislation before the end of session. SB 1691, a measure that helps move the TRS pension trust fund closer to actuarial soundness, is still waiting to be heard before the end of regular session.

SB 1691 is the more moderate approach to altering retirement patterns in Texas while also preserving the “Rule of 80” and eliminating unsound actuarial retirement subsidies that have helped create the pension system’s $12 billion in unfunded liability. Another bill, HB 1579, contained many of the same measures, but implemented a much less generous grandfather clause that would have saved the system millions of dollars and reduced the amortization schedule for the fund’s debt to less than 31-years. This would have allowed the pension system to pay retirees a 13 th month pension check during the next fiscal year.

When HB 1579 failed to pass the senate on Wednesday night, retired educators only hope that the state would be able to move in a direction of pension fund solvency and allow for future increases for already retired educators (as well as those who will retire in the near future) is now SB 1691. TRTA members should keep contacting their senator and ask for their support on SB 1691 by calling it for a vote in the Senate as soon as possible so that the end of session rush does not kill this bill, as well. TRTA members calling and asking for a “yes” vote on SB 1691 may want to make considerable effort to talk to those senators (or their office staff) who voted “no” on HB 1579. A copy of the roll call vote for HB 1579 is below.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact TRTA at 1.800.880.1650 or send your emails to trta@trta.org.

 

AYES - 19

Armbrister(D); Averitt(R); Brimer(R); Carona(R); Deuell(R); Duncan(R); Estes(R); Fraser(R); Harris(R); Jackson, Mike(R); Janek(R); Lindsay(R); Nelson(R); Ogden(R); Seliger(R); Shapiro(R); Staples(R); Wentworth(R); Williams(R)

 

NAYS - 12

Barrientos(D); Ellis, Rodney(D); Eltife(R); Gallegos(D); Hinojosa(D); Lucio(D); Madla(D); Shapleigh(D); Van de Putte(D); West, Royce(D); Whitmire(D); Zaffirini(D)

 

PRESENT-NOT-VOTING - 0

 

ABSENT - 0

 

Return to Legislative Updates