May-June 2019 Living Power Newsletter

Livingpower For all who have made a living and now wish to make a life Volume 35, Number 3 May-June 2019 NCRGEA Board of Directors IN THIS ISSUE District 1 Edward J. Sheary, Weaverville President’s Message ................................................................................. 2 Clifton B. Metcalf, Lake Junaluska, Treasurer Living Power in Large Print .................................................................... 3 District 2 Charles K. Beck, Lenoir Linda K. Story, Granite Falls Final Expense Insurance .......................................................................... 3 District 3 Legislative Update .................................................................................... 4 Larry F. Kepley, Lexington Ben L. Neal, Clemmons Attn: Member Spouses - Be An Associate Member ...................... 5 District 4 Robert C. Atwater, Chapel Hill Thomas W. Lane, Butner Office Depot Store Purchasing Card ................................................... 6 District 5 NC House Members - Alphabetically by County ......................7-12 John H. Manley, Jr., Rocky Mount Irene B. Pollard, Farmville 2019 Retiree Pay Dates ..........................................................................12 District 6 Evelyn C. Gerdes, Charlotte NC Senate Members - Alphabetically by County .................. 13-16 Martha Sue Hall, Albemarle District 7 NCRGEA Focus Groups ........................................................17 Beverly Stewart, Whispering Pines Frank Lewis, Lillington REGISTER for Focus Groups ................................................18 District 8 George B. Chapman, Raleigh Carolina Cruise & Tours ..........................................................................18 George E. Currie, Raleigh Vann Langston, Raleigh, Vice President Michele Nelson, Raleigh, Secretary Sign Up to Receive Email Legislative Reports ...............................19 Linda S. Suggs, Morrisville, President IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS ...........................................................19 District 9 Vacant North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association President’s Message - We Need You Involved in Our Strategic Planning - municate, we still often struggle to have sincere engage- mentDespite with a world each other.filled withEven tools for an to association help us better as large com as ours, the largest public sector association in North Carolina and the largest retiree association in the United States, this is no exception. We’re mindful of this. And we’re working every day leadership team as well as with each other. to find ways to better engage our membership, with our Linda S. Suggs, This year, we are working on a long-term strategic NCRGEA President plan. One goal of this effort is to increase member en- gagement by becoming more connected with government retirees, within their own communities. Our hope is that improved in- volvement will keep our membership growing, and more importantly, give our members the information they need to be active, engaged members of NCRGEA. While we’re in this planning stage, we welcome your thoughts and feedback on how we can best engage with you. You will also hear us ask you how to better engage at our summer focus group meetings and our fall district meetings. At our spring district meetings, we began surveying our attendees on this and will report We’d like to see you at our upcoming seven focus group meetings in late July. Goback to to Pages you our 10 andfindings 11 for as dateswe continue and locations, hearing theand voices to sign of up our to members. attend. On our advocacy front, we’ve spent many hours this legislative session meet- dear for future generations of public servants. So far, we are receiving a posi- tiveing with response. members We’ll and keep leadership. you posted Our as goalthe session is to protect progresses. the benefits you hold - ous summer. We’ll be back in touch soon. Meanwhile, please reach out to your legislators As always, at wehome hope in yourthese community. brighter, warmer Let them days know bring that you you a fulfilled are a member and joy of NCRGEA. Thank them for their support and let them know that you support wonderful retirement system. the organization Linda thatS. Suggs, is working NCRGEA to protectPresident your benefits and the health of our May-June 2019 Living Power - 2 Living Power Available In Large Print To receive a large print version by email, send an email to [email protected] and request to be added to the Large Print List Serv. Be sure to include your name, mailing address and email address. Our large print version is also posted on our NCRGEA website www.ncrgea. com. We also provide a copy to Friends of the Blind for audio recording: www. friendsoftheblind.org. Ready to Enjoy Life? ARE YOUR FINAL EXPENSES COVERED? Be prepared. • Relieve your family from financial burden of final expenses. • Benefits Never Decrease. • Rates Locked-In for Life IT’S SIMPLE TO GET COVERAGE Call us toll-free 1-833-599-1751 or email [email protected] for assistance or more information. No medical exam for guaranteed issue, just a few yes or no questions. P.O. Box 1035, Roxboro, NC 27573 May-June 2019 Living Power - 3 Legislative Update This year, we are taking a fresh look at how we can best advocate for you at the General Assembly. With every legislative session we face similar challeng- es. This legislative session, however, business as usual doesn’t work anymore. We are asking legislative members to look at incremental ways to safeguard our pension system with a goal to protect for future generations our pensions As an architect of the study to come up with sustainable solutions to pro- tectdefined-benefit our public pension, plans rather we hope than to moving also develop to defined-contribution ways to provide consistent, (401K) plans. - byfuture Senator costs Steinburg. of living adjustments Stay tuned for(COLAs) updates for as ALL this government bill progresses, retirees. as well Sen as updatesate Bill 403 on the- State subsequent and Local study Government to come. Pensions/PED Study was introduced Here’s a snapshot of other bills of interest: • Senate Bill 243 - Give Retirees a 5% COLA/Funds - Senator Waddell has filed a “go for the gold” cost of living adjustment bill, providing a 5 percent cost of living adjustment for TSERS. • Senate Bill 657 - Expand Property Tax Homestead Exclusion Act - Senator toMohammed’s reimburse counties bill expands for lost the revenuehomestead from exclusion the bill’s income implementation. cap from $25,000 to $35,000 for eligible property owners and allows the Department of Revenue amount• House receivedBill 213 - in Equal the taxable income year tax treatmentfrom local, of state retirees’ and federal benefits retirement will allow plansnon-Bailey sponsored vested by retirees Rep. George to deduct Cleveland. from their adjusted gross income the NCRGEA fully supports these bills and will advocate for their passage. As always, our most important charge is to fight for retiree cost of living - causeadjustments. of this, we This are year working struggles with continue, House and declining Senate billspension to create values additional and ever- tightening budget dollars will make our efforts more difficult than ever. Be retirees. legislation for a 1 % recurring cost of living adjustment AND a 1% bonus for administrative bills as part of the State Treasurer’s legislative agenda — in all, We’re also working with the State Treasurer’s office on roughly a half dozen - es. We’re on guard to ensure any actions taken will not impact our member- amounting to more than 85 pages of technical and substantive statutory chang May-June 2019 Living Power - 4 ship and retirees negatively. State Health Plan One pillar of our legislative agenda is “keeping the State Health Plan healthy.” With increasing costs and access issues in our rural areas, this agenda item couldn’t be more important. The legislature, State Treasurer, as well as other stakeholder groups including NCRGEA, are working together to begin identify- public servants. While these groups may not all be in agreement now, all of us knowing proactive we have adjustments to address the to keeppending this unsustainablecritical benefit cost for ourto manage active and the retiredState Health Plan. - siderable State Treasurer opposition Folwell’s and support. “clear pricing Opponents project,” of the limiting State Treasurer’s reimbursement plan, includingrates for providers many healthcare that average providers, 182% doctors of the Medicare and hospitals, rate has support met both -House con - sively review health plan reforms over an 18-month period. In all, we’ve gone allBill in 184 for - this Study 2019 State legislative Health Plan session. Design We – look that forward requires to a sharedstudy to successes comprehen and sharing more with you in the future. Attention Member Spouses: Be an Associate Member! - The spouse of any dues-paid active member can join NCRGEA as an “Associ andate Member” also be covered for only by$25 our a year. $10,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit. Associate Members can access all full member benefits of our Association You can download the Associate Membership application from our website www.ncrgea.com or call our NCRGEA office to have one mailed to you 1-800- 356-1190. May-June 2019 Living Power - 5 Account # 8012 256 0607 © 2018 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. rights All Inc. Depot, Office 2018 © Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a

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