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Legislative Updates

Legislative Update No. 55, Session 81
By Tim Lee, Executive DirectorPrinter Friendly ||| Print as PDF

June 2, 2009

Governor Perry, Please Sign HB 2656 into Law!
TRTA Email Communications Campaign Now Available--Click Here to Take Action
Perhaps one of TRTA’s most significant accomplishments this session was working with State Representative Doug Miller to pass HB 2656.
This legislation achieved a long-standing TRTA goal, to add another TRS retiree on the system’s Board of Trustees. As you know, this legislation moved through the process and never once received a dissenting vote from any one at any time. Now, the measure is on its way to the Governor.
Governor Perry has just a short time to either allow the legislation to become law, sign the measure into law, or veto the bill altogether. Obviously, TRTA does NOT support the veto!
HB 2656 gives you better representation on the TRS Board. Though the system covers more than 260,000 retirees, it only has one position designated for a TRS annuitant representative. There are currently 5 positions that are direct gubernatorial appointees. Two of those five gubernatorial appointees are recommendations from the State Board of Education (SBOE). HB 2656 takes one of these SBOE positions and gives that position to another TRS retiree.
Many of you will recall in October 2006 when then candidate for reelection, Governor Perry replied to a TRTA questionnaire asking if he was open to another retiree on the TRS Board. He responded by saying that he was open: “…to changing the makeup of the Board so that it would include greater retiree representation. I believe it is important that the individuals that stand to benefit from the wise management of the fund be well represented.”
TRTA and State Representative Doug Miller worked with the entire Texas Legislature to expand retiree representation on the TRS Board and to do so in a way that was never once received a dissenting vote throughout the long legislative process. Representative Miller is to be congratulated to have taken such an important issue and pass it through the legislative process in his freshman year in the Texas Legislature!
Now, it is up to Governor Perry to fulfill his commitment to retired public education employees and sign HB 2656 into law.
If you would, please send a pre-drafted email to Governor Perry. Please click here!
In addition, TRTA is asking every member to call the TRTA Contact Your Legislator Hotline at 1.888.674.3788 and ask to be connected to Governor Perry’s office. Tell them you are a retired public education employee and you want Governor Perry to sign HB 2656 into law!
Please Email and Call!!! Your help on this communications campaign may be the defining reason for the Governor’s favorable response.
Thank you,
Tim Lee
Executive Director
Texas Retired Teachers Association

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