GSRA's Legislative
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Georgia State Retirees Association Communicating Our Goals to Legislators A Tool Kit Adopted November 2015 2016 GSRA Key Legislative Issues Support for a 3% across the board pay increase for all active state employees. Salaries have remained low for active state employees since 2008 and benefit costs have increased. Turnover among active employees has reached the 35-45% level making the delivery of services difficult and requiring constant re-training. These employees are Georgia’s future. Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for ERS Retirees The median income for all ERS retirees is only $21,750.00 a year with more than 60% of ERS retirees receiving less than $28,000.00. These retired public servants have not had a COLA in eight years, unlike many other retirees in our state. GSRA urges that a COLA of some amount, as funds are identified, be provided to ERS retirees to help restore the lost purchasing power due to inflation on these employees' fixed-benefit pensions over the past eight years. State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) Transparency GSRA and other retiree organizations support legislation to provide transparency in the SHBP plan design and changes. Such legislation was introduced in both the 2014 and 2015 Sessions, and would include the addition of an advisory council to the DCH composed of education and general employee retirees. This would allow proposed plan modifications to be discussed and deliberated prior to adoption by DCH. GSRA urges that this legislation be passed and signed by the Governor. Changes in State Policy Regarding Health Benefits GSRA recognizes that the increasing cost of health benefits is a big state budget item, but urges recognition by state decision-makers that health benefits are a component of public employees' total benefits packages. Wholesale changes to health benefits - coupled with little increase in take-home pay of active employees and no increase in retirees' income - over the long-term could destroy public service as a career in Georgia. Such changes should be considered in a deliberative, cautious manner. Changes in Authorized Investments under ERS Law GSRA requests that the General Assembly kill any proposal to add to the list of authorized ERS investments to expand into speculative, risky areas in the name of "maximizing" retirement funds' returns on investment, and keep existing safeguards in the law in place. Such speculative investments should not be considered a valid use of retirees' pension funds, since retirees' and their families must rely upon these assets for their daily living expenses. Page | 1 Communicating with Legislators While GSRA’s legislative team will be at the Capitol every day, remember the cardinal rule of legislative advocacy from any organization’s perspective – the most effective voice for GSRA is back-home contact with constituents!! 1. In virtually all cases, phone calls, visits, e-mails or text messages from you to your legislators carry tremendous weight and can influence legislative decisions. 2. While our lobbying team at the Capitol can make contacts and keep us abreast of developments on a daily basis, you as an individual GSRA member have a vital role in helping achieve our goals – by contacting legislators (and the Governor when called on to do so) regularly. 3. How to do so: Develop a rapport with members of your delegation – they value your opinions, and they know that you’re informed on issues affecting you personally, such as your pension and policies affecting pensions that they as legislators influence. Remind your legislators that you are a good source of information on state issues – especially issues affecting retired employees. What you communicate will be firsthand information which may often be different from lobbying organizations reflecting narrow, self-interest constituencies. Know how to reach your legislators. Get your member’s contact information by going to: http://www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx. Remember that regular phone, e-mail or text contact during the session is important. Timeliness is critical during the session, so contact by phone, e-mail or text is usually better than writing a letter. Plan on visiting the Capitol at any time, but especially on GSRA’s Legislative Day each year. Make appointments with members of your legislative delegation. Visit with them in their offices and attend meetings of the committees on which they serve. Be specific and concise, and don’t worry that you aren’t an “expert” on the subject you may be discussing, but that it is important to you and you want them to assist you in addressing these concerns. Provide a bill number and the author if possible as legislators have to consider hundreds of bills. Invite them to Chapter meetings so they can discuss their concerns and hear your GSRA members’ concerns at the local, grass-roots level. Thank them!! Ask for what you want, but be respectful!! Page | 2 Georgia State Senate Appropriations Committee GSRA Local Chapter Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) Savannah Coastal Area Chapter Chairman Sweet Onion Chapter Renee Unterman (R-Buford) Central Metro Chapter Vice Chairman Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton) Coosa Valley Chapter Secretary Northwest Georgia Chapter Dean Burke (R-Bainbridge) SW Georgia Chapter Thomasville Chapter Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) Athens Area Chapter Lake Oconee Area Chapter East Metro Chapter Northeast Metro Chapter Butch Miller (R-Gainesville) Northeast Metro Chapter Freddie Powell Sims (D-Dawson) SW Georgia Chapter Thomasville Chapter West GA/Columbus Area Chapter Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) Northwest Metro Chapter John Wilkinson (R-Toccoa) Athens Area Chapter Northeast Metro Chapter Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale) Southern Crescent Chapter Community Health Subcommittee David Shafer (R-Duluth) Northwest Metro Chapter Fiscal Management Subcommittee Central Metro Chapter Finance Committee GSRA Local Chapter Judson Hill (R-Marietta) Central Metro Chapter Chairman Northwest Metro Chapter John Albers (R-Roswell) Northwest Metro Chapter Secretary Central Metro Chapter Page | 3 Insurance & Labor Committee GSRA Local Chapter Ed Harbison (D-Columbus) Tri-County Area Chapter West GA/Columbus Area Chapter P.K. Martin (R-Lawrenceville) Georgia Retired Educators Chapter Joshua McKoon (R-Columbus) Southern Crescent Chapter Tri-County Area Chapter West GA/Columbus Area Chapter Retirement Committee GSRA Local Chapter Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) Coosa Valley Chapter Chairman Ellis Black (R-Valdosta) Thomasville Chapter Chairman Valdosta Chapter Waycross Chapter Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) East Metro Chapter Secretary Central Metro Chapter Hunter Hill (R-Atlanta) Central Metro Chapter Ex-Officio Northwest Metro Chapter Mike Crane (R-Newnan) Southern Crescent Chapter Tri-County Area Chapter West GA/Columbus Area Chapter Central Metro Chapter Tyler Harper (R-Ocilla) ABC of Douglas Chapter SW Georgia Chapter Valdosta Chapter Waycross Chapter David Lucas (D-Macon) Lake Oconee Area Chapter Old Capitol Chapter South Central Chapter Michael “Doc” Rhett (D-Marietta) Northwest Metro Chapter Page | 4 Rules Committee GSRA Local Chapter Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) Coosa Valley Chapter Chairman Northwest Georgia Chapter Ross Tolleson (R-Perry) South Central Chapter Vice Chairman Bill Jackson (R-Appling) Athens Area Chapter Secretary Augusta Regional Chapter Lake Oconee Area Chapter Steve Henson (D-Tucker) Central Metro Chapter Georgia State House of Representatives Appropriations Committee GSRA Local Chapter Terry England (R-Auburn) Athens Area Chapter Chairman Lake Oconee Area Chapter Northeast Metro Chapter Chad Nimmer (R-Blackshear) Sweet Onion Chapter Vice Chairman Waycross Chapter Amy Carter (R-Valdosta) Thomasville Chapter Chairman of General Government Valdosta Chapter Subcommittee Appropriations – General GSRA Local Chapter Government Subcommittee Don Parsons (R-Marietta) Northwest Metro Chapter Jimmy Pruett (R-Eastman) South Central Chapter Sweet Onion Chapter Lynn Smith (R-Newnan) Southern Crescent Chapter Page | 5 Appropriations – Health GSRA Local Chapter Subcommittee Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro) Sweet Onion Chapter Chairman Darlene K. Taylor (R-Thomasville) SW Georgia Chapter Thomasville Chapter Appropriations – Human GSRA Local Chapter Resources Subcommittee Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) Coosa Valley Chapter Chairman Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville) Georgia Retired Educators Chapter Buddy Harden (R-Cordele) SW Georgia Chapter Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) Central Metro Chapter Insurance Committee GSRA Local Chapter Richard H. Smith (R-Columbus) Tri-County Area Chapter Chairman West GA/Columbus Area Chapter Johnnie Caldwell, Jr. (R-Thomaston) Southern Crescent Chapter Vice Chairman Tri-County Area Chapter John Carson (R-Marietta) Northwest Metro Chapter Secretary Mike Cheokas (R-Americus) SW Georgia Chapter West GA/Columbus Area Chapter Rich Golick (R-Smyrna) Central Metro Chapter Northwest Metro Chapter Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) Northeast Metro Chapter Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) West GA/Columbus Area Chapter Jason Shaw (R-Lakeland) ABC of Douglas Chapter Valdosta Chapter Waycross Chapter Bert Reeves (R-Marietta) Northwest Metro Chapter Page | 6 Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe) East Metro Chapter Northeast Metro Chapter Retirement Committee GSRA Local Chapter Paul Battles (R-Cartersville) Coosa Valley Chapter Chairman Tom Kirby (R-Loganville) Athens Area Chapter Vice Chairman Lake Oconee Area Chapter East Metro