MNCORA sent our opposition letter along with opposition letters from the Hennepin County Detention Deputies and three PERA Correctional Plan Retirees. More are coming. At the November 16 meeting of the 911 Telecommunicators Pension Benefit Working Group, the Chair, Darlene Pankonie stated they had gone off the rails by only considering the PERA Correctional Plan as the only option to the General Plan. She said they were tabling the PERA Correctional Plan and would explore other options. While this is good news this is not the time to get complacent. The current Working Group established by SF2485 creating the Working Group came out of SF2198 which sought to "Transfer 911 Telecommunicators from the general plan to the correctional plan." And don't forget Senator Bigham authored both bills. SF2485 states, "The recommended changes may include, but are not limited to moving 911 telecommunicators to the correctional plans." Tabled does not mean gone!

Part 1 will explore how the current threat  to the PERA Correctional Plan began. Who? What? On March 1st 2021 Minnesota State Senator Bigham introduced SF 2198 described as  " 911 telecommunicators transfer from the general employees retirement plan to the local government correctional plan; transferring eligible service credit " This was quickly co-authored by Senators Housley and Pappas and joined by a companion bill in the House HF 2585 authored by Representative Berg. When the PERA Correctional Plan was formed in 1999 the initial  Correctional Officers   did not transfer any service credit from their previous PERA pension and initially had to wait 3 years to be vested! SF 2198 and HF 2585 did not proceed as written, but on May 3rd 2021 Senator Bigham introduced SF 2485 . The Bill description is, " 911 telecommunicator pension benefits working group establishment."  What is this working group studying?  Bill 2485 reads ...