Brian Peters, MPPOA surprise outside player

The MPPOA is a Licensed Peace Officer organization. On May 4th 2021 their Executive Director Brian Peters wrote a LETTER to Senator Julie Rosen, Chair, Legislative Commission on Pension and Retirement and Members. The letter throws the full support of the MPPOA behind SF2485 supporting the Working Group exploring adding 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan.

The MPPOA is not a Labor Union. They are not a 911 Dispatch Organization. On the MPPOA Membership page it states:

Regular Membership
Law enforcement officers required to hold a valid full-time license issued by the Minnesota Police Officers Standards and Training Board and who are employed full-time by either a state, county or local political subdivision. Full-time federal officers having the power of arrest with a warrant are also eligible for enrollment.

To our knowledge this would be few, if any current 911 Dispatchers in Minnesota. There was a time when many County 911 centers were staffed by Sheriff's Deputies. That day has passed.

Members of the MPPOA are members of the Police and Fire Pension. Maybe the MPPOA should be advocating adding 911 Dispatch to their Police and Fire Pension, after all it used to be a Licensed Deputy Position. Quit advocating changes to our PERA Correctional Plan that you are not part of!

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...

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

PERA Board votes against CO seat-arguments. What's next and options

On December 12, 2024 the PERA Executive Board voted unanimously not to support legislation to add a Correctional Officer seat to the PERA Board. This is disappointing but will not dissuade MNCORA from again seeking a Bill with the Legislature. I would like to counter some of the PERA Boards arguments. At the planning meeting and in PERA's letter they argued that adding a seat would make the number on the Board even. So, we revised our proposal to add an additional Retiree seat. After all retirees are almost 30% of PERA membership and Retirees have only one member elected seat. In their letter they state, “ The current makeup of the board is 6 member positions to 3 employer positions, adding additional board members representing member groups would weigh the board’s makeup further towards the membership .” Not exactly true. It’s an 11 person board. Source PERA 2023 PFAR The 11 person Board is made up of 5 seats that are appointed by the Governor and one more is th...

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