Contact your state representative and senator to support the

25-year pension bill, Senate Bill 14 - NOW!

- posted Thursday, June 2, 2005

Senate Bill 14 which would grant full pensions for 25 years of state service at any age, may have a chance for funding if DSEA members act now!
At present, you must work thirty years to be granted a pension without reducing your monthly pension amount

We have a very small window of opportunity before the state budget is finalized this year, or we will have to wait until next year to lobby for this bill. Legislators hesitate to fund a 25-year pension because of the "brain drain" if lots of teachers retire and because of the high cost of health insurance for additional retirees. The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee.

It will take massive numbers of legislative contacts to move this bill now, but now is the time.

Contact your state senators and representatives now to urge them to support this bill.
Here's how: Go to our Cyberlobby page, click on Home and then scroll down to My Elected Officials). While you are there, sign up to be a DSEA Cyberlobbyist to receive Action alert information about crucial legislation, such as SB14.

Here are some Talking Points:
1. A 25-year retirement benefit will attract employees to Delaware. It makes us competitive with other state pension programs. Delaware is an importer of teachers, so finding ways to entice them to leave their state and come here is crucial to the attraction of future teachers.
2. With younger educators coming in to replace retiring ones, salary costs will be less.
3. This bill has been a DSEA Legislative Priority for 25 years, ironically. It would be a wise political move for legislators to support this bill.

SB14
Here is the full text of Senate Bill 14.

SPONSORS: Sen. McBride Sen. Vaughn Sen. Cook Rep. Spence Rep. Miro Rep. Wagner Rep. Ewing ; Sens. Blevins, Bonini, Bunting, Cloutier, Connor, Henry, Marshall, Sokola, Still, Venables; Reps. Buckworth, Carey, Cathcart, DiPinto, Ennis, Fallon, Gilligan, Hudson, Keeley, Lee, Lofink, Mulrooney, Oberle, Roy, Ulbrich, VanSant, Viola, Williams, Schwartzkopf, Thornburg

SENATE BILL NO. 14
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE EMPLOYEES' PENSION PLAN.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend 5522(a)(3), Title 29 of the Delaware Code, by striking the number "30" as it appears therein and substituting in lieu thereof the number 25.
Section 2. Amend 5522(a), Title 29 of the Delaware Code, by striking paragraph (4) thereof in its entirety. Section 3. Amend 5522, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by striking subsection (d) thereof in its entirety.
SYNOPSIS: This Act permits a service pension after 25 years of credited service, regardless of age, without actuarial reduction.
Author: Senator McBride