Skip to main content

PERA Correctional Plan threat code red!

 MNCORA has been monitoring the 911 Telecommunicators Pension Benefits Working Group established by the Minnesota State Senate.

Among considerations is adding 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Retirement Plan. They seem to be leaning very heavily towards this.

Talk at the last meeting has working group members comparing the stress of 911 dispatching to the very real physical dangers Correctional Officers face on the job!

Sources tell us at the last meeting PERA Executive Director Doug Anderson said it could cost as much as $79 million to add dispatchers to the Correctional Plan! This was only a ballpark because NO ACTUARIAL STUDY has been done or even approved by the legislature!

If dispatchers are added the up to 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) would probably end. With the current high inflation even the 2.5% COLA is a shrinking benefit!

It's quite possible this work group could recommend adding people to a high risk plan, that don't meet the criteria, destroying the healthy COLA without even knowing the full price tag. Oh, and the $79,000,000 ballpark estimate doesn't even include disability!

MNCORA plans to be heard.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Correctional Officers Federally Recognized as Public Safety Employees

As of January 1, 2025,  Correctional Officers are Federally Recognized as Public Safety Employees   the same as Police and Fire.  This has implications for disability, taxes and retirement. As we face new challenges to our pension in 2025 this will further the distinction between PERA General Plan members like 911 Dispatch and Probation and CO's in the PERA Correctional Plan. It's part  of the Secure Act 2.0. 26 USC § 72(t)()(10)  definition of Public Safety Employee - qualified public safety employee (10) Distributions to qualified public safety employees and private sector firefighters (A) In general In the case of a distribution to a qualified public safety employee from a governmental plan (within the meaning of section 414(d) ) or a distribution from a plan described in clause (iii), (iv), or (vi) of section 402(c)(8)(B) to an employee who provides firefighting services, paragraph (2)(A)(v) shall be applied by substituting “age 50 or 25 years of service u...
Read more

New Bill for Corrections seat on the PERA Board

MNCORA thanks Representatives Peggy Scott and House Leader Harry Niska for Authoring HF708 in the House and senators Cal Bahr and Jim Abeler for authoring the bill in the Senate SF1556 . Next step is for the LCPR to hear this Bill. Here's a link to the Pension Committee (LCPR). It's very important to contact them and ask them to give it a hearing for it to move on. https://www.lcpr.mn.gov/members.htm
Read more

Confusion at today's PERA meeting

 I attended the PERA Board meeting remotely today (3/13/25). As all of you know there's lots of pieces at play in the PERA pension plans. There have been in the recent past attempts by 911 Dispatchers and Probation to be merged into the PERA Correctional Plan which MNCORA has vehemently opposed. The positive note from todays meeting is that the current discussion is centered around improved pensions (earlier retirement) for probation and dispatch without talk of adding them to the Correctional Plan.  The sad part is the apparent confusion among PERA Board members as to the difference between Essential Employees and Public Safety Employees. Some were using the terms interchangeably which could lead to future problems.  While Police, Fire, Corrections, Probation and 911 Dispatch are all essential employees  https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/179A.03 . Only Police, Fire and Correctional Officers are Public Safety! The Secure Act 2.0 spells out changes to the defi...
Read more