MNCORA thanks the following legislators

Last session the following legislators authored HF4342 on the House side, a Bill to add a PERA Correctional Officer to the PERA Board.

Representative Harry Niska was the one who got the ball rolling quickly followed by Rep. Peggy Scott and Rep. Paul Novotny.

On the Senate side SF4464 Senator Cal Bahr was the first to Author followed by Senator Jim Abeler and finally Senator Nick Frentz.

The Chair of the Legislative Pension Commission, Rep. Kaohly Her did not allow this Bill to be heard even though it had a sponsor on both the House and Senate side. MNCORA is hoping to get this Bill reintroduced this upcoming session. Each year the Chair of the Pension Commission rotates. We are hoping the next Chair is more amenable to a Correctional Officer on the PERA Board.

This is an election year and MNCORA wants our members to know who has supported our efforts.

Supporting this Bill were Representatives Harry Niska, Peggy Scott and Paul Novotny. In the Senate were Senators Cal Bahr, Jim Abeler and Nick Frentz.

MNCORA thanks them and looks forward to working with them next session.

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

MAPE and Teamsters gearing up for pension raid?

Currently there's an MSRS Correctional Plan Eligibility Work Group looking at who and should and should not be in the MSRS (State) Correctional Plan. The recommendations are due to the LCPR by January 10, 2025. As always there's a letter citing MAPE and Teamsters desire to add Probation Officers to both the MSRS and PERA Correctional Plans . Because why wouldn't they try this again out of our sight? Last year of course there was the Bill to add Dispatch to our Correctional Plan, and Rep. Wolgamott (the author) stated the issue was not dead. We fully expect another attempt this year. The last line of MAPE's letter says it all: This upcoming session will be challenging with possibly probation and dispatch both making a run at our pension. MNCORA will be watching. We plan to again submit a Bill to add a CO to the PERA Board (Something State CO's have). Last year Representative Niska authored it, but the LCPR declined to give it a hearing. This session Rep. Niska w...

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