Alert AFSCME Retirees mailing

I've never been an AFSCME Member so I was quite surprised to get a letter from Minnesota AFSCME Retiree Chapter 5.

For 'only $24 a year' they'll 'protect our pension.'

Really? Where were they last year when there was an attempt to throw 911 Telecommunicators into the Correctional plan at a minimum cost of $79 million ? (with LELS support?) Even though many AFSCME members are CO's?

Where were they when MNCORA was supporting Bills that would have exempted the PERA Correctional Plan and the Police and Fire retirement from MN State Taxes?

Where was AFSCME Retiree Chapter 5 when MNCORA supported a Bill to exempt Social Security from MN State income tax?

MNCORA supported these bills see our letter https://mncoretirementassociation.blogspot.com/2022/04/mncora-letter-of-support-for-retirement.html

And there's a nice surprise in the fine print. If you join Minnesota AFSCME Retiree Chapter 5 they will deduct the $24 annual fee from your Pension every year!!

But fear not, according to their letter anyone can join regardless of whether you were an AFSCME member or not!

At MNCORA we don't charge dues! Membership and advocacy are FREE!

To join MNCORA email MNCORA@protonmail.com for a free application! (Must be a PERA Correctional Plan member, beneficiary or retiree)

Session summary, wins and lossses

Governor Walz signed into law the Pension Omnibus Bill yesterday, May 15. It was a busy year for MNCORA and PERA Correctional Plan Legislation. MNCORA with your help was able to stave off yet another attempt to add dispatchers to our pension. Your petitions, calls and thousands of cards mailed to legislators was a success. Sadly we are not out of the woods. Rep. Wolgamott and Rep. Her both told MNCORA that the bill to add dispatch to our pension wouldn't be added to this year's Pension Omnibus Bill, but did not say the issue was dead for next session. MNCORA had a Bill to add a Correctional Officer to the PERA Board authored by Representatives Niska , Scott and Novotny on the House side, and a companion Bill in the Senate by Senators Bahr , Abeler and eventually Frentz . Sadly Pension Commission Chair Kaohly Her did not even allow our Bill a hearing. We will be back with this next year! Another bright note was the passage of a Bill raising the high 5 multipl...

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

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