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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!



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