Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise speech in favor of HF40981 2.2

On March 18 the Pension Commission Heard Bill HF4081, a bill that will raise the current multiplier for the PERA Correctional Plan from 1.9 to 2.2% .

Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise gave a speech supporting the increase and one of the best speeches regarding the profession of Detention Deputies we've heard.

The following is his testimony before the Pension Commission.

His testimony begins at the 48:37 time mark.

Thank you Sheriff Brad Wise.

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...

Confusion at today's PERA meeting

I attended the PERA Board meeting remotely today (3/13/25). As all of you know there's lots of pieces at play in the PERA pension plans. There have been in the recent past attempts by 911 Dispatchers and Probation to be merged into the PERA Correctional Plan which MNCORA has vehemently opposed. The positive note from todays meeting is that the current discussion is centered around improved pensions (earlier retirement) for probation and dispatch without talk of adding them to the Correctional Plan. The sad part is the apparent confusion among PERA Board members as to the difference between Essential Employees and Public Safety Employees. Some were using the terms interchangeably which could lead to future problems. While Police, Fire, Corrections, Probation and 911 Dispatch are all essential employees https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/179A.03 . Only Police, Fire and Correctional Officers are Public Safety! The Secure Act 2.0 spells out changes to the defi...

2025 Pension Wrap Up

https://www.lcpr.mn.gov/index.htm Here's a brief summary of the 2025 Pension Omnibus Bill . *PERA General plan- COLA increase from 1.5-1.75% Max *PERA Police and Fire plan- one time COLA of 3% then back down to 1% annual COLA plus major changes to Disability see ARTICLE 15 DUTY DISABILITY BENEFITS AND CONTINUATION OF HEALTH COVERAGE FOR PEACE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2025/0/Session+Law/Chapter/37/ *Another Work Group for Dispatch and 911 Telecommunicators ARTICLE 17 WORK GROUP ON PENSION PLANS FOR PROBATION OFFICERS AND 911 TELECOMMUNICATORS Section 1. WORK GROUP ON CREATING PENSION PLANS FOR PROBATION OFFICERS AND 911 TELECOMMUNICATORS. $80 million was allocated to pensions this session. The Teachers Pension and Police and Fire received the lions share. MNCORA had one request this session, a seat on the PERA Board. SF1556 / HF708 . The Bill was laid over and we can take it up again next session. THIS BILL WOULD HAVE ...

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