Skip to main content

PERA Correctional seat on the PERA Board, next step



Bill HF4342 authored by Rep. Niska and Scott now has a companion bill in the Senate, SF4464 authored by Sen. Bahr and co-authored by Sen. Abeler. 

MNCORA is thankful for the support of these Representatives and Senators.

If passed for the first time a PERA Correctional Officer will have a seat on the PERA Board.

The next step is for the Pension Commission to give it a hearing. If it is not heard the bill will die.

What can you do? The Chair of the Pension Commission is Representative Her. This is her contact information: 

Phone 651-296-8799 E-mail: rep.kaohly.her@house.mn.gov

The Vice chair on the Senate side is Senator Frentz. This is his contact information:
Phone 651-296-6153 E-Mail sen.nick.frentz@senate.mn

PLEASE contact them and ask them to have the Pension Commission give it a hearing and then contact your Representative and Senator and ask them to support these Bills.

Make your voice heard!

Popular posts from this blog

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...

Bill HF708 SF1556 hearing at the Pension Commission

The Pension Commission heard our bill to add a CO to PERA's Board on 3/25/25. Senator and Author Cal Bahr introduced the bill and MNCORA President Wade Laszlo testified in support. The Bill was "laid over" and SF1556 moves on to the State and Local Government Commission and HF708 moves on to the State Government and Finance Committee. MNCORA thanks Sen. Cal Bahr for authoring the Bill and introducing it. We also thank authors Sen. Jim Abeler and Rep. Peggy Scott and Harry Niska for authoring in the House. MNCORA thanks  the Pension Commission for hearing the Bill. Sen. Cal Bahr and MNCORA President Wade Laszlo Testimony at the Pension Committee