TRTA TV Update: The Latest News about WEP and the Texas Legislature!
Members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) legislative team visited Washington, D.C. last week to advocate for improved Social Security benefits for Texas retired school personnel and meet with Congressman Kevin Brady (R, The Woodlands). As you may have read in last week’s Inside Line, Brady has filed the Equal Treatment of Public Servants […]
TRTA Attends NIRS Conference, Lobbies for WEP Repeal
Members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) legislative team visited Washington, D.C. this week, and spoke with Texas congressional leadership about the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Executive Director Tim Lee, State President Fran Plemmons, Legislative Coordinator Bill Barnes and Retirement Consultant Ronnie Jung attended the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) Sixth Annual Policy […]
Developing Story: House Appropriations Committee Announces Intention to Fully Fund TRS-Care!
TRTA Members in Action Making a BIG Difference!! Today, February 25, the Texas House Appropriations Committee Chairman, John Otto, made a public announcement that the House intends to fully fund TRS-Care for the 2016-17 biennium. This means the $768 million projected shortfall to the retiree health insurance program will be funded under the House budget […]
More on Our Developing Story: House Appropriations Committee Announces Intention to Fully Fund TRS-Care!
TRTA Members in Action Making a BIG Difference!! EMAIL ACTION ALERTS INCLUDED IN THIS UPDATE! Watch an Exclusive Video Update from TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee Below! Today, February 25, the Texas House Appropriations Committee Chairman, John Otto, made a public announcement that the House intends to fully fund TRS-Care for the 2016-17 biennium. This […]
TRS Presents TRS-Care Sustainability Study Options to House Appropriations
Member Alert: This is our most important update! Please read and send to your friends, family, and fellow retirees! TRTA will NOT be able to succeed this session without your help and membership support! Today, February 24, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) presented a detailed accounting of the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program […]
TRS Testifies Before House Pensions Committee
As the 84th Legislative Session presses forward, the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) remain focused. TRS has testified before both the Senate Finance and House Appropriations (Article III) committees about the health of the pension fund and the burgeoning TRS-Care retiree health insurance crisis. Today, TRS spoke […]
Special Election Runoffs TODAY! Plus New TRS Value Video
Election News Several special elections are happening today in Texas! Elections are being held to determine Texas Representatives for House Districts 13, 17, and 123, as well as the Senator for Senate District 26. If you live in one of these districts, get out and vote TODAY! All registered voters living in these districts are […]
House Appropriations Committee Discusses Pension Fund, TRS-Care Issues
Today, February 20, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III met and heard vital testimony about the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) pension fund and the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program. The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) was able to provide public testimony, in addition to TRS Executive Director Brian Guthrie. Guthrie’s testimony very […]
TRS Defined Benefit Plan Attacked
The Austin American-Statesman published an article on February 10 attacking the defined benefit plans of retired Texas public educators. James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) wrote the attack article. In the article, Quintero questions the funding stability of public pension plans. Quintero’s primary focus is on the pension plans run by the […]
Senate Finance Committee Expanded Update, Featuring Exclusive Video Coverage!
Yesterday, the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) released a brief Inside Line update about the Senate Finance Committee meeting. The committee met yesterday to hear testimony from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) about the state of the TRS pension fund and the TRS-Care retiree health insurance program. […]