The Governor has signed the retiree cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) legislation passed during the last week of session. According to HB 3112 (Peterson and Mazzei), retirees will receive additional funds in their checks, effective July 1.
“As usual, the retiree COLA was one of the last bills through the process,” said OPEA Policy and Research Director Trish Frazier. “HB 3112 was passed on the last day of session, after encountering procedural problems in the House.”
HB 3112 provides cost-of-living adjustments for state retirement systems, specifically four percent for OPERS retirees. However, the language that allows retirees to receive annual adjustments automatically, without a vote of the legislature, is not in the final version.
The bill, which was the last opportunity for retirees to receive a COLA this year, was determined not germane when it was orignially brought up in the House the night before session ended.
“Fortunately, the House suspended the rules and allowed the bill to pass the last day,” said Frazier. “This is just an example of how things can go wrong. Retirees, who have given their lives to public service, should not be forced to wait for election years to receive a COLA. Even if everyone means well, election-year politics can cause things to go wrong.”
The Retiree Council will be meeting at the OPEA office, Monday, June 16 at 10:00 to set the Retiree platforms for next legislative session. Plan to attend and bring your ideas. For more information, call Trish Frazier, 800-880-6732, 405-524-6764 or trishf@opea.org .
Posted on
Friday, June 6, 2008
by Trish Frazier