TRTA Members Should Ready for More Action

After last night’s overwhelming vote on the floor of the Texas House to fund the TRS pension trust fund at 6.7% and provide a full 13^th month check, TRTA members are anxious to take the next step moving the issue closer to final action.  The House will need to take one last vote on SB 1846 (the bill is now on 3^rd reading) to send it back to the Senate.  That vote needs to happen before midnight tonight.

TRTA is confident that the House will, again, express its solidarity on fully funding the annually required contribution of 6.6% to make the pension fund sound, AND provide the additional funding necessary to provide retirees a full 13^th check.  That additional funding is equal to 0.1% for a combined State contribution of 6.7%.  As you know, that was the funding rate adopted as an amendment to SB 1846 when it was introduced by Representative Ruth Jones McClendon and supported by Representative Vicki Truitt as she worked to pass SB 1846 in the Texas House last night (May 22, 2007).

The House voted 148-0 to in favor of that amendment.  They then voted 144-0 to pass the bill from second reading to third reading beating a midnight deadline that would have otherwise killed the bill and severely impacted the chances that retirees would receive a 13^th check this coming biennium.

TRTA members have been so active and supportive in working to perfect this legislation and keep it moving through the process so that they do have an actuarially sound pension fund and will receive a 13^th check. 

This momentum can be built up even more by contacting your Texas Representatives and thank them for their support on SB 1846 and to be sure and vote the bill out of the House today as quickly as possible.  TRTA members can also contact their Texas Senators and ask them to support retired educators by agreeing to a proposal that provides retirees a fully-funded 13^th check and an actuarially sound retirement system.

TRTA will update this message again when further action is taken by the Texas House.