In the previous post we quoted from the letter of support of HF 1234 from the Association of Minnesota Counties.
"For over two years, AMC had the privilege of being part of a Public Safety Duty Disability Stakeholder Group. This group has been composed of a multitude of local government employers as well as law enforcement and union representatives."
I asked the League of Minnesota Cities, who I heard headed up the stakeholders group and received the following list.
The League of Minnesota Cities convened the meetings. Here are the groups that were represented:
Association of Minnesota Counties
Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities
Law Enforcement Labor Services
League of Minnesota Cities
Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Minnesota Inter County Association
Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association
Minnesota Professional Firefighters Association
Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association
Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association
Minnesota State Fire Departments Association
Minnesota State Patrol
Minnesota State Retirement Systems
Public Employees Retirement Association
Teamsters
The LMC says, "The League did not convene the stakeholder group after the 2022 Legislative Session. The Public Employees Retirement Association provisions pertaining to offsets and reapplication were not part of the work of the stakeholder group. Those provisions were considered in more recent meetings convened by the bill’s authors."
This stakeholder group is 80% management. Where any actual people on Disability Retirement actually contacted?
Why wasn't MNCORA contacted?
MNPEA President Dave Deal testified at the March 20th LCPR meeting that they hadn't been notified. They represent a large amount of County Corrections Officers in some of Minnesota's largest jails like Hennepin County and Sherburne County. Surely they would be a stakeholder for the County Corrections members.
Corrections needs to be cut out of this Police and Fire Bill!
MNCORA encourages everyone to contact their State Senators and the members of the Senate Finance Committee and tell them not to adopt the changes found in HF 1234. The companion Senate File is SF 1959 and does not contain the changes adding Corrections that are found in HF 1234.