Winter 2021 Newsletter
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West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees Affiliated with AARP/NRTA VOLUME 30 • NUMBER 3 Winter • 2021 Legislative Column Legislative Leadership slowing the payoff on the Senate Leadership unfunded liability in our David Kelly, Daniel Linville, Larry Pack, pension fund by an additional President of the Senate Craig Blair Chris Phillips, Johnnie Wamsley, Evan Worrell President Pro Tempore: Donna J. Boley 17 years. That would mean Minority Leader: Doug Skaff Majority Leader: Tom Takubo Minority Whip: Shawn Fluharty that our pension fund would Majority Whip: Ryan Weld not be fully funded in 2034 Assistant Minority Whips: Nathan Brown, Minority Leader: Stephen Baldwin Phillip Diserio, Cody Thompson, Lisa Zukoff as we have been promised, Minority Whip: Mike Woelfel but not until 2051. As you House of Delegates Finance may realize, any chance of a Senate Finance Committee Members Cost-of-Living-Adjustment Committee Members (COLA) in the near future Senator Tarr - Chair Senator Sypolt - Vice-Chair Delegate Householder - Chair John Taylor evaporates with this plan. Delegate Criss - Vice-Chair Legislative Chairman Senator Baldwin We MUST pull out all stops Senator Boley Delegate Boggs - Minority Chair Our Legislative efforts to prevent this. We will work Senator Clements Delegate Rowe - Minority Vice-Chair are multiple this year. Our with other organizations on Senator Hamilton Delegate Anderson first goal is to keep PEIA this as well, but our grass Senator Ihlenfeld Delegate Barrett as it is into the future. The roots have to step up here too. Senator Jeffries Delegate Ellington upcoming plan year is the We will still be work- Senator Maroney Delegate Espinosa Delegate Gearheart last year for no change ing on a modest pension Senator Martin Delegate Graves in premiums, copays, or increase for those who retired Senator Nelson Senator Plymale Delegate Hardy deductibles unless the state 20 or more years ago. They Delegate Hornbuckle takes action. We are working are the ones that have been Senator Roberts Senator Stollings Delegate Hott with other organizations to most impacted by inflation. Senator Swope Delegate Howell coordinate efforts on PEIA. We have to work to help them. Senator Takubo Delegate Linville We need all our members We don’t know what this Senator Unger Delegate Maynard to be in contact with their Legislative session will look Delegate Pack, J. Delegate Pethtel Legislators. like with the COVID. The Senate Pensions Committee Members Another thing that has Legislators and staff may well Delegate Riley come to light is that there is have been vaccinated by then. Senator Nelson - Chair Delegate Rohrbach Delegate Rowan talk among the Legislators What we do know is that the Senator Clements - Vice-Chair Delegate Statler about a tax cut. Not a bad grass roots (YOU) needs to Senator Azinger Senator Karnes Delegate Storch idea, you might say, but one work extra hard this year. Senator Lindsay Delegate Toney of the methods to “pay” for Your letters, e-mails, texts, or Senator Plymale Delegate Williams such a tax cut is not so good. phone calls just may make the Senator Trump It has been suggested that difference in what happens House of Delegates Pensions and the state might cut costs by for us or to us this year. House Leadership Retirement Committee Members A change has been made to register for a Covid vaccine. Speaker of the House: Roger Hanshaw Delegate Storch - Chair If you have internet, enter vaccinate.wv.gov. Speaker Pro Tempore: Gary G. Howell Delegate Gearheart - Vice-Chair If you have no internet, call 1-633-734-0965. Majority Leader: Amy Summers Delegate Pethtel - Minority Chair Assistant Majority Leader: Kayla Kessinger Delegate Evans, E. - Minority Vice-Chair At this time, you must be 65 or older. Give any health Majority Whip: Paul Espinosa Delegate Anderson conditions that you have. This may help you get the Assistant Majority Whips: Trenton Barnhart, Delegate Graves vaccination sooner. If you have already been Caleb Hanna, John Hardy, Dean Jeffries, Riley Keaton, Delegate Pack, J. vaccinated, be sure to follow up with the second shot. and Binding and Printing Morgantown Charleston, WV 25311 WV Charleston, PAID 200 Elizabeth Street Elizabeth 200 U.S. POSTAGE U.S. WVARSE Newsletter WVARSE NONPROFIT ORG NONPROFIT Page 2 — Winter 2021 West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees Due to the COVID-19 pandemic WVARSELEGISLATIVE GOALS 2021 WVARSE meetings will be • That WVARSE will promote legislation to continue and maintain the quality of PEIA coverage, without increases in premiums, copays or reduction in benefits. conducted by ZOOM until further notice. • That WVARSE will promote Legislation to provide a stimulus check of $500 to each retiree that retired 20 or more years ago when a state of emergency is declared for a pandemic. Regional Meetings will be • That WVARSE will promote legislation to increase the pension of those who retired 20 or more years ago by two dollars per month per year of service. reviewed by the Executive Board at their • That WVARSE will support AARP efforts at the legislature. next meeting March 16, 2021. State Personal Income Taxes on Retirement Income • WV State and local police, Deputy Sheriffs’ and Firefighters’ retirement benefits are fully exempt. Other WV State pensions: $2,000 exemption. In the meantime, • Federal Civil Service pensions: $2,000 exemption. regional directors are to continue with plans to meet as scheduled. • Military Pensions: Full exemption. • Each WV Taxpayer aged 65 or older is entitled to a deduction of $8,000 minus Retirement income deduction ($2,000 mentioned above). In this statute, retirees $6,000 plus the $2,000 mentioned above. EXECUTIVE BOARD EXECUTIVE BOARD A Brief History of Legislative Changes to PEIA President Irvin Scarberry (304) 544-4288 [email protected] The Legislature created the PEIA in 1988, and the PEIA Finance Board in 1990. President-elect Charmel Radcliff (304) 684-2133 [email protected] 1988 reduced sick leave benefit by 50% starting 7/1/88 Secretary Carolyn Davis 1989 passed Omnibus Health Care Act – allows PEIA to set rates, stopped balance billing by in-state providers, required 304 677-2874 [email protected] providers to accept assignment of benefits Treasurer Judy Staubly 1990 created PEIA Finance Board (304) 269-5494 [email protected] 1991 Dropped “take-one-take-all” provision from the Omnibus Health Care Act, expanding available provider pool for Immediate Past President Mary Ann Ferris PEIA insureds (304) 592-2061 [email protected] 1992 Prevented ‘pre-existing condition limitation’ from being applied to new hires Executive Director William G. Milam 1994 Added 100% coverage for childhood immunizations and associated office visits to PEIA Indemnity Plan (304) 610-0192 [email protected] 1998 Changed PEIA plan year to state’s fiscal year; provided supplemental appropriation to avoid deductible and copay Parliamentarian Danny Gray increases effective 1/1/99 (304) 645-2529 [email protected] 1999 Expanded PEIA Finance Board by two members, required 5-year finance plans Scholarship Sharon Vance 2001 Ended practice of trading accrued leave for health insurance for those hired on and after 7/1/2001 (304) 497-2138 [email protected] 2002 passed legislation to require 80/20 premium split for agencies in the State-funded plan Historian Mary Pat Glover 2008 Created Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund to deal with the state’s OPEB liability (304) 273-2804 [email protected] 2009 Eliminated benefit for higher education faculty to trade years of teaching service for years of employer-paid Newsletter Editor Darlene Milam insurance at retirement (304) 610-2935 [email protected] 2017 Reconstituted finance board Membership Clerk Karen Nicholson (304) 488-2860 [email protected] Region I Charmel Radcliff (304) 684-2133 [email protected] Region II Martha Dean Summary of Retiree Increases Since 1998 (304) 765-2126 [email protected] PERS Region III Carol Williams 2000 - All retirees with 20 or more years of service were guaranteed a minimum annuity of $500/month. (304) 927-2910 [email protected] 2001 - All retirees age 65 retired for 5 years or more received a 5% increase Region IV Denis Chapman All retirees age 70 retired for 5 or more years received a 10% increase. (304) 697-2082 [email protected] All early retirees age 65 retired for 5 or more years received a 3% increase. Region V Ann Pauley 2006 - All retirees age 70 retired 5 or more years received a 3% increase. (304) 913-4109 [email protected] 2008 - 13th check of $600 to retirees w/20 yrs and annual benefit of $7200 or less adjusted. Region VI John Moyers 2011 - 13” check of $1200 to retirees w/20 yrs and annual benefit of $7200 or less. (304) 749-7547 [email protected] 2019 - HB 3095 increased the minimum pension for school employees and state employees with at least 25 years of service Community Service Patty Adkins from $500 to $750 per month. 304-668-4302 [email protected] I&P Service Norma Taylor TRS (304) 842-4213 [email protected] 1998 - All retirees who retired on or after 7/1/1986 but before 4/1/1998 received a $2 @month for every year of service. Legislative John Taylor All retirees who retired before 4/1/1988 and who were receiving less than or equal to $300 received an additional (304) 265-5514 [email protected] Membership John A Riddle $1 @ month for each year of service. (304) 372-3896 [email protected] 2000 - All retirees with 20 or more years of service were guaranteed a minimum annuity of $500 monthly. AARP-REA Liaison Jo Ann Harman 2001 - All retirees age 65 retired for 5 years or more received a 5% increase (304) 749-7322 [email protected] All retirees age 70 retired for 5 or more years received 10% increase.