December 3rd Pension Work Group Update

Friday Dec 3rd was potentially the final Pension Benefits Work Group meeting. The LCPR and Chair wants this to be the last meeting.

The Chair Darlene Pankonie surveyed the group, no actual vote, asking the Members if 911 Dispatchers should have an enhanced pension. There was not a consensus.

Even without consensus the Chair asked if 911 Telecommunicators should be added to the Correctional Plans. Again, no consensus. Mainly only the dispatchers supported. The City and County groups opposed as well as the Corrections Officers, Heidi Paumen (appointed by PERA), Dan Gorman (MN CO appointed by MSRS) and Advisor, Retiree Wade Laszlo.

What happens next?

Chad Burkitt, the Analyst for the LCPR, will write the report using minutes and documents from the Work Group's meetings in concert with Darlene Pankonie, who very clearly wants the enhanced pension for dispatchers and judging from the past meetings she wants them in the Correctional Plan.

The report will go to the Legislature's Pension Retirement Commission. The report will have to reflect there was not consensus, but we don't know what it will recommend. Keep in mind this Working Group was born out of Senator Bigham's Bill (SF 2198) to just add 911 Telecommunicators to the PERA Correctional Plan.

The Pension Retirement Commission has the power to let the issue die or move it on to the full legislature.

This issue is not dead!

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

MAPE and Teamsters gearing up for pension raid?

Currently there's an MSRS Correctional Plan Eligibility Work Group looking at who and should and should not be in the MSRS (State) Correctional Plan. The recommendations are due to the LCPR by January 10, 2025. As always there's a letter citing MAPE and Teamsters desire to add Probation Officers to both the MSRS and PERA Correctional Plans . Because why wouldn't they try this again out of our sight? Last year of course there was the Bill to add Dispatch to our Correctional Plan, and Rep. Wolgamott (the author) stated the issue was not dead. We fully expect another attempt this year. The last line of MAPE's letter says it all: This upcoming session will be challenging with possibly probation and dispatch both making a run at our pension. MNCORA will be watching. We plan to again submit a Bill to add a CO to the PERA Board (Something State CO's have). Last year Representative Niska authored it, but the LCPR declined to give it a hearing. This session Rep. Niska w...

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