Skip to main content

New session coming up-what to watch for and what will LELS support

Last session LELS Legislator of the Year Rep. Dan Wolgamott put forward Bill HF 4796  to add Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan. MNCORA fought this.

The Bill didn't pass last session but resulted in a study that is to explore a better pension for Dispatch and Probation. We hope that doesn't include another swing at our Corrections Plan. As of today it's not listed on the LCPR's Workgroup page so we don't know. We were told the issue is not over.

Last session LELS Executive Director Jim Mortenson was very upset MNCORA was collecting petitions opposing HF4796. LELS CO's were blindsided by their Union's support of this threat to the Correctional Plan.

MNCORA has members statewide. We're hearing from some CO's LELS doesn't support adding Dispatch to our plan and from other groups they're telling dispatch they do. 

LELS has a history of treating Correctional members different than others. For instance they collect dues for the MPPOA, but LELS members are only Associate members of the MPPOA with no voting rights and not covered by the MPPOA Legal Defense Fund. Note it states "if you are a member of the MPPOA." (See the MPPOA membership page.)

Now compare with LELS membership page. It states a member of LELS is enrolled as a member of the MPPOA, but the MPPOA only extends Associate membership to non-sworn members and no access to the MPOA Legal Defense Plan. If you are a licensed police officer and a member of LELS this applies. If you are a CO it doesn't appear to. Jim Mortenson feel free to contact us if this is not so and we will correct this post.

Our point is that LELS has a history of backing adding Dispatch to the the PERA Correctional Plan and a history of treating CO's different than it's licensed members.

MNCORA is waiting to see what the upcoming session brings and what LELS will or will not support when it comes to Corrections. 

UPDATE to post:

This is LELS Letter to support adding 911 Dispatchers to our pension in 2022-

https://www.lcpr.mn.gov/documents/911WorkGroup/LELS_Position_Statement_in_Support_of_Enhanced_PERA_Benefits_for_911_Operators_Revised_10-01-21.pdf

It's part of the 911 Telecommunicators Pension Benefits Working Group signed by James Moretenson.

Here's MPPOA By-Laws spelling out what an Associate Member is and what they are not in Article 3. section 3:


Wait, what does MPPOA Membership have to do with LELS membership? Well according to LELS website under Cost of Membership, Non-licensed members (CO's) pay $5.84 a month to the MPPOA and $4.33 a month to the LDF (Legal Defense Fund) the MPPOA won't extend to CO's.

It is MNCORA's opinion that LELS doesn't have CO's best interest in mind.

We will be watching this upcoming session their partnership with Rep. Dan Wolgammott.




Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Read more

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...
Read more

August 8 PERA meeting

I attended the August 8th PERA meeting in person today. They discussed the funding levels of the plans. Police and Fire is funded at 87% and at current rates won't be fully funded until 2080! The PERA Correctional Plan is funded at 96.7% and will be fully funded by 2026! This includes the increase of the high five multiplier of 2.2% that begins July of 2025. Last year we pushed for a CO seat on the PERA Board. We had the Bill but it didn't get a hearing by the Pension Commission or pass. We tried to get the PERA Board to support that but they didn't want to last year, they said they'd take it up at 'next years planning meeting.' That meeting is October 30th of this year and PERA Executive Director Doug Anderson reminded them of that. The new session will be coming up after elections. We will again push for a long overdue seat on the PERA Board and will be watching for other attempts to raid our healthy plan.  We look forward to a new session and new work on your...
Read more