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Weekly Legislative Update - April 8, 2005
(week 13 of 17)
*ACTION ALERT* Targeted Legislation: SB 98 (SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS: FAST TRACK)
Sponsor: Request of the Governor
ASEA Position: SUPPORT
PAC Recommendation: SUPPORT Bill Summary: SB 98, the supplemental appropriation bill that contains the appropriation to fund the increased employer health contribution of $58 per member per month ($29 per pay period) retroactive to July 1, 2004. Bill Status: The bill has passed both the State House and State Senate and was signed yesterday by the Governor! Action Needed: No action is needed! On signing by the Governor the appropriation has become available for payment to our members, the union will continue to work closely with the State to make sure that the disbursements happen quickly and efficiently.
Targeted Legislation: SB 141 (PUBLIC EMPLOYEE/TEACHER RETIREMENT)
Sponsor: Senate Finance Committee
ASEA Position: OPPOSE
PAC Recommendation: OPPOSE Bill Summary: SB141 proposes radical changes for state employees: 1) It allows the PERS retirement system administrator to increase current employee contribution rates until employee contributions fund one-half of the benefits expected to be earned by active members; 2) For new employees, it replaces the defined benefit retirement system (PERS) with a new defined contribution plan that does not ensure any particular level of retirement benefit. The House rejected a proposal last week by the Senate linking the $70 million increase in education funding to the retirement reform bill. The bill also reduces the number of plan participants allowed to sit on the retirement boards and provides medical retirement benefits to those employees who retire directly from state service. This week the Legislative Council hired the Michigan-based Actuarial Service Company, P.C., to conduct an independent study of the state's retirement system. A preliminary report is expected April 21. Bill Status: This bill which would overhaul Alaska's public employee retirement system was approved Wednesday by the Senate Finance Committee and is scheduled for first reading on the Senate Floor this afternoon (April 8th.) Related Bills: The following bills relating to Public Employees Retirement reform are pending hearing in the House State Affairs Committee. You can find updated committee schedules on the ASEA PAC Website at www.afscmelocal52.org. HB 170 - PUB EMPLOYEES/TEACHERS RETIREMENT BOARDS, SPONSOR REPRESENTATIVE KELLY HB 177 - STATE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS, SPONSOR REPRESENTATIVE KELLY HB 191 - PUBLIC EMPLOYEE/TEACHER RETIREMENT, SPONSOR REPRESENTATIVE KELLY HB 238 - PUBLIC EMPLOYEE/TEACHER RETIREMENT, SPONSOR STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Action Needed: All members of the State Senate will be considering this bill on the floor in the next few days. Please contact your State Senator and tell them that this legislation is bad for current and future state employees! See the ASEA PAC Website to find your Senator’s contact information.
Targeted Legislation: HB 147 and SB 108 (INSURANCE)
Sponsor: Request of the Governor
ASEA Position: SUPPORT
PAC Recommendation: NEUTRAL Bill Summary: House Bill 147 and Senate Bill 108 require notice of an insurers’ lapse of certification. The bills amend restrictions regarding the advertisement of insurance products to prohibit any comparison of health discount plans to a form of insurance. These pieces of legislation included sections with regulations for “self-funded governmental plans,” which would include the ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Health Trust, requiring health trusts to provide actuarial reports and 10% liability indemnity insurance. Bill Status: The House Labor and Commerce Committee removed the language referring to “self-funded governmental plans” from the House version of the bill by adopting a committee substitute on March 31st. The bill is now in House Finance. The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee held a hearing on SB 108 March 31st as well, although they did not take any action on the bill. Similar amendments to the Senate Bill are expected. HB 147 is scheduled for the following hearing:
(H) FIN Apr 15 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519 TELECONFERENCE SB 108 is in Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and not scheduled for any hearings at this time. Action Needed: Contact members of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and ask them to keep the language referring to “self-funded governmental plans” in the bill! It is the position of the union that the increased regulation will provide better service to our members! Chair: Senator Bunde, Vice Chair: Senator Seekins, Members: Senator Stevens B, Senator Ellis, Senator Davis.
Targeted Legislation: HB 257 and SB 160 ( STATE PROCUREMENT ELECTRONIC TOOLS)
Sponsor: SB 160:Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, HB 257:House Judiciary Committee
ASEA Position: No formal position has been taken, due to the fact the Executive Board has not met since the Legislation was introduced. Because of the negative impact for ASEA Members, the union is actively OPPOSING the legislation.
PAC Recommendation: The PAC has not met since the Legislation was introduced. Bill Summary: House Bill 257 and Senate Bill 160 aim to privatize state procurement functions. These bills could eliminate approximately 180 state positions. ASEA estimates that 120 of those positions would be GGU members’ jobs. The remaining positions would be APEA and Local 71 members. ASEA is taking this threat very seriously, the union has joined forces with APEA and Local 71 to collect information and actively lobby against this legislation. Moving procurement to a private vendor will destroy the public trust in the process. State employees should be making procurement decisions per the State’s Procurement Code. The Pilot Program, HB 313 that the legislature passed in 2003, has not proved cost savings for the state. Final results will not be returned for the pilot program until next year Bill Status: The senate bill had it’s first hearing in Senate Labor and Commerce Tuesday, April 5th. SB 160 is scheduled for the following hearings:
(S) L&C Apr 12 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 TELECONFERENCE HB 257 is scheduled for the following hearings:
(H) JUD Apr 13 1:00 PM CAPITOL 120 TELECONFERENCE Action Needed: Contact your members of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee and urge them to examine the results of the Pilot Program HB 313 before considering making these drastic changes to the procurement system!
Targeted Legislation: HB 161 and SB 24 ( REEMPLOYMENT OF RETIREES)
Sponsor: SB 24: Sen. Gary Stevens (R)-Kodiak, Sen. Bettye Davis (D)-Anchorage, and Sen. Kim Elton (D)-Juneau , HB 161: Representative Elkins (R) – Ketchikan
ASEA Position: NEUTRAL
PAC Recommendation: NEUTRAL Bill Summary: SB 24 contains the original language suspending the retirement benefits of rehired teachers and requiring pension contributions by the employer of a returning retiree if the rehire increases the unfunded liability of the retirement plan. Also in the bill is a procedure for certifying with retirement plan administrators that an employer anticipates a need to hire returning retirees. Only after such notification is served will returning employees be able to collect retirement after waiving additional credit toward retirement benefits. Bill Status: This bill has been amended to include retroactive liability for retirement costs by employers who hired retired teachers and public employees after July 1, 2001. Under the amendment, retirement plan administrators could require contributions from employers whose rehire of formerly retired teachers and public employees has increased the unfunded liability of the retirement plan. SB 24 has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee and then to Senate Finance. Currently, SB 24 is not scheduled for any hearings. HB 161 has been scheduled for the following hearings:
(H) HES Apr 12 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106 TELECONFERENCE Action Needed: No action needed at this time.
Targeted Legislation: HB 98 and SB 71 ( NONUNION PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SALARY & BENEFIT)
Sponsor: Request of the Governor
ASEA Position: NEUTRAL
PAC Recommendation: NEUTRAL Bill Summary: Provides for salary increases to exempt and partially exempt employees of the Executive Branch, and adjusts salary schedules that were last updated in 2001. Exempt employees of the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch will receive an adjustment of 2%, an increase comparable to those received by classified employees. Exempt university employees will be compensated according to the policies set by the Board of Regents. Bill Status: HB 98 has been passed out of the House State Affairs Committee and referred to House Finance. Currently HB 98 is scheduled for the following hearing:
(H) FIN Apr 13 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519 TELECONFERENCE SB 71 has only been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. Currently SB 71 is scheduled for the following hearing:
(S) FIN Apr 08 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 TELECONFERENCE Action Needed: No action needed at this time.
Targeted Legislation: HB 180 and SB 130 (WORKERS' COMPENSATION)
Sponsor: Request of the Governor
ASEA Position: OPPOSE
PAC Recommendation: OPPOSE Bill Summary: Implements changes to workers' compensation affecting the supervising government agency, appeal procedure, hearings format, and claim amounts. Workers Compensation Hearing Officers would remain as members of ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 with the protections of collective bargaining. Bill Status: HB 180 has been referred to the House Labor and Commerce Committee, Judiciary and Finance Committees. No hearings are currently scheduled. SB 130 has been referred to the Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees. SB 130 has been scheduled for the following hearings:
(S) JUD Apr 08 8:00 AM BUTROVICH 205 -- Recessed from April 7 -- TELECONFERENCE
(S) FIN Apr 08 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 <Pending Referral> TELECONFERENCE
(S) FIN Apr 15 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 <Pending Referral> TELECONFERENCE Action Needed: Contact members of the House Labor and Commerce Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Finance Committee and urge them to vote no on this legislation!
Targeted Legislation: SB 152 (Geo-Diff Study Funding)
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Wagoner (R)-Kenai
ASEA Position: No formal position has been taken, due to the fact the Executive Board has not met since the Legislation was introduced. Because of the positive impact for ASEA Members, the union is actively SUPPORTING the legislation.
PAC Recommendation: The PAC has not met since the Legislation was introduced. Bill Summary: The bill, introduced on March 24th, would authorize a $500,000 appropriation for the purpose of conducting a study to review pay differentials, commonly known as the Geo-Diff. State law requires such studies to take place every five years. However, the last pay differential study took place more than twenty years ago in 1983. Sen. Wagoner says in his sponsor statement, “ Over time, some differentials have changed to reflect the change in cost of living, while state statutes remain unchanged since there has not been an update on the Cost of Living survey. The recent School District Cost Study highlights that a cost of living study should be done soon to ensure that the geographic pay differential provided to public employees is up to date.” Bill Status: SB 152 has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee and then to Senate Finance . No hearings are currently scheduled. Action Needed: Contact members of the Senate State Affairs Committee and Senate Finance Committee and urge them to vote yes on this long overdue legislation!
Targeted Legislation: HB 67 and SB 45 ( APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS)
Sponsor: Request of the Governor
ASEA Position: SUPPORT
PAC Recommendation: SUPPORT Bill Summary: Provides funding for the second year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This funding includes a 1.5% upward salary adjustment for the GGU. The increase in health insurance premium will be determined before the end of the session. HB 67 has been amended to provide funding for this increase and has passed the House of Representatives. Bill Status: HB 67 has passed the House and has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. HB 67 has been scheduled for the following hearings:
(S) FIN Apr 11 5:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 TELECONFERENCE
(S) FIN Apr 12 5:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 TELECONFERENCE
(S) FIN Apr 13 5:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 TELECONFERENCE
(S) FIN Apr 14 5:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 TELECONFERENCE
(S) FIN Apr 15 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 TELECONFERENCE Action Needed: Contact members of the Senate Finance Committee, urge them to vote YES! Mandate that they support State Employees and approve the funding for the second year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement! |
