It's nearing the end of the legislative session so here's a snapshot of where we are at. First the positive. SF4721/HF4514 has passed the Pension Committee. This Bill lowers PERA Correctional Plan Contributions and Employer Contributions as well as raising the COLA Cap from 2.5% to 3%. Read the summary here   https://www.lcpr.mn.gov/documents/mtgmaterials/2026/2026.04.07/SF4721-HF4514%20Summary.pdf MNCORA submitted written testimony supporting this Bill.  Now for the Bad. Bill HF708/ SF1556 to add a PERA Correctional Officer seat to the PERA Board is stalled.  Last session Senator Cal Bahr sat with MNCORA President Wade Laszlo and introduced the Bill to the Pension Committee. The Bill was heard last session but Pension Committee Chair Senator Nick Frentz laid it over. Meaning no vote was taken to move it out of Committee.  PERA opposed this Bill because it would make the PERA Board even numbered (like the Teachers). We were advised that Amending the Bill to mak...

  MNCORA has submitted a letter of support for  SF4721 (Frentz) ;  HF4514 (Lillie) : PERA Correctional; reducing the employee and employer contribution rates and increasing the postretirement adjustments. If passed this Bill will lower PERA Correctional Plan members contributions from 6.83 to just 6% and the Employer Contribution from 10.25 to 9% of salary!

  "America is careening toward a fiscal crisis that makes 2008 look manageable, yet most taxpayers remain unaware that it is coming. State and local governments currently owe  $1.37 trillion  more in pension benefits than they have saved to pay them, per the Equable Institute, and that uses accounting standards governments themselves prefer.  Apply the market-based discount rates Stanford economist  Joshua Rauh of the Hoover Institution  considers the only honest methodology, and the true shortfall reaches  $5.1 trillion , roughly the annual GDP of Japan. This a structural death spiral.  Rising pension costs force tax increases and service cuts, which drive out residents and businesses, which shrinks the tax base, which forces still higher taxes, until something breaks.  We have already seen a road map for what “breaks” looks like.  It is called Detroit." Full Story American Thinker

Last session Senator Bahr introduced SF1556/ HF708   a Bill to add a Corrections Officer to the PERA Board. The Bill was heard but laid over. PERA's objection was it would make the PERA Board even numbered. Rep Peggy Scott will be introducing an Amendment which would cure PERA's objection. MNCORA asks that you write Senator Frentz, Chair of the Pension Committee and tell him to bring the Amendment to a vote when introduced. sen.nick.frentz@mnsenate.gov make sure to cc  rep.peggy.scott@house.mn.gov sen.cbahr@mnsenate.gov If this session passes without getting a Correctional Officer seat on the PERA Board we have to start all over again next session! PERA UPDATE On March 12 PERA held their Executive Board meeting, MNCORA attended virtually. Some interesting things came to light. First a firefighter out on a duty disability who had been overpaid and was paying back the overage at 25% of her check was asking for a 'hardship' reduction to 10% a check. It came to light that t...

  The new legislative session has started. Last session we had Bill HF708 and SF1556 introduced and heard by the LCPR (Pension Commission). The Bill was laid over. PERA objected because another seat would have made the PERA Board an even numbered Board. Representative Peggy Scott will be introducing an Amendment to make one of the existing 3 elected PERA Board seats to be filled by a PERA Correctional Officer. This would seem to overcome the objections. If passed this would finally give a PERA Correctional Plan member a dedicated seat on the Board. Secondly PERA is recommending and writing legislation to raise the COLA Cap on our Correctional Plan from 2.5 to 3%. This Bill would also lower the Employee contributions from 6.83% to 6% and the Employer contribution from 10.25 t0 9%. This will benefit the Retirees, current contributing members and the Employer. A win all around!   Watch our website and blogs for news and updates!

At today's PERA Executive Board meeting the PERA Executive proposed raising Correctional Plan COLA's to a maximum of 3% and decreasing Employee and Employer Contributions. This still leaves our plan funded at 102%! The Board passed the recommendation unanimously. MNCORA had been asked our input and provided a letter of support in January. Full Proposal:  https://www.mnpera.org/sites/default/files/tab-e--2026-legislative-agenda-2.12-correctional-plan.pdf This will now go to the legislators and hopefully passes. MNCORA is hopeful it will as it saves both employees and the employers money.