Our website at MNCORA.ORG is having some technical issues we're working on. Hopefully it will be up and running soon. Watch this blog for a big announcement next week!

I've never been an AFSCME Member so I was quite surprised to get a letter from Minnesota AFSCME Retiree Chapter 5 . For 'only $24 a year' they'll 'protect our pension.'  Really? Where were they last year when there was an attempt to throw 911 Telecommunicators into the Correctional plan at a minimum cost of $79 million ? (with LELS support?) Even though many AFSCME members are CO's? Where were they when MNCORA was supporting Bills that would have exempted the PERA Correctional Plan and the Police and Fire retirement from MN State Taxes?    Where was AFSCME Retiree Chapter 5 when MNCORA supported a Bill to exempt Social Security from MN State income tax? MNCORA supported these bills s ee our letter  https://mncoretirementassociation.blogspot.com/2022/04/mncora-letter-of-support-for-retirement.html And there's a nice surprise in the fine print. If you join  Minnesota AFSCME Retiree Chapter 5 they will deduct the $24 annual fee from your Pension every ye...

 The Executive Board met today, July 19, 2022 Here's the Agenda with notes. 1.      Support pension legislation         *Any pension bills  benefiting  Police and Fire we want a "me too"   2.    Set possible goals: Raise 5 year formula from 1.9 to 2.2 equal to MSRS      *Raise high 5 formula from 1.9% to 2.2 like the MSRS Correctional Plan. We want parity with back pay for all current retirees and their survivors.   3.    Expand membership:  * Membership has been growing primarily from website online presence and word of mouth.   4.    Find out position of Minnesota Sheriffs Association on PERA Correctional Plan    *Find out position of MSA on the PERA Correctional Pension. We are a large part of most Sheriff's Offices and running the jail is a Constitutional requirement. Ask, "What have you done?" Letter to be written to MSA head with board cc'd. 5.  ...

The past Minnesota Legislation Session ended abruptly with a call from Governor Walz. A lot we that had hoped to become law slipped away for this year. Specifically the Bills to exempt PERA Pensions for Correctional Officers (and P&F) and Social Security from the MN State Income tax. With a $9 billion surplus retirees on fixed incomes should have some relief. MNCORA is in contact with the sponsors of those Bills and will encourage them to be reintroduced next session. MNCORA believes a Correctional Officer should have a dedicated seat on the PERA Board just like Police and Fire, the Teachers Union, etc . The State MSRS Retirement Board has a CO on theirs. The MNCORA Executive Board will meet in July to map out the next steps. We are looking forward to an exciting and successful next session.

Detention Deputies, you worked all through the pandemic, finally the long promised front-line worker pay is available. Here's the link to apply:  https://frontlinepay.mn.gov/submit You must apply by July 22nd!

MNCORA thanks Minnesota House Representatives Demuth, O'Driscoll, Heinrich and Scott for authoring HF 3902, and Senators Howe, Duckworth, Gazelka, Rosen and Ingebrigsten for authoring SF 3538. These Bills if passed would have exempted our PERA Correctional Plan, as well as Police and Fire,  from MN State income tax. Sadly much like many Bills they didn't go the distance, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Equally sad is the fact that both parties had agreed to remove Social Security from State income tax but that bill was killed when Governor Walz told the Democrats to stop moving forward. MNCORA looks forward to the next session and working for PERA Correctional Plan members.

 The Minnesota Legislature had until the end of session, midnight Sunday to wrap up their work. According to Fox 9 " Lawmakers on Saturday agreed to a  $4 billion tax relief package  that calls for the  elimination of state taxes on Social Security income , a small income tax rate cut, and an expansion of the renter's credit and an expansion of the renter's credit.  But the tax bill won't pass until all spending bills are settled, because they're all part of a larger agreement." They had agreed to eliminate the tax on Social Security and an additional $4 billion in tax relief. After all a $9 billion surplus means we are over taxed. MNCORA had supported the elimination of tax on Social Security as this would have benefited all PERA Correctional Plan members. But it didn't get finished. Why? The tax portion was settled and signed by both parties in committee, but the Democrats in the House refused to pass those bills unless they got ALL of their spending! ...