TRTA Day at the Capitol is Here; TRS Candidate Information

TRTA Day at the Capitol is Here; TRS Candidate Information

Email Your Legislators Now

TRTA members from all over the state will arrive in Austin tomorrow to promote the TRTA Legislative agenda and to urge legislators’ help with protecting current health care and pension funding.

TRTA expects about 500 members to visit the Capitol complex tomorrow to ask the Texas Legislature to restore funding to the TRS-Care health insurance program and the TRS pension trust fund. Many members are leaving their homes before 5 AM to travel to Austin via chartered bus. The dedication and personal financial sacrifice by so many TRTA members is so appreciated. TRTA Rally Day participants will be able to hand-deliver factual information about our most important issues to their legislators. They will also be able to meet personally with these members and convey to them the need and hardship being experienced by so many public education retirees.

As you know, TRTA membership exceeds 71,000 and many are not able to make the trip due to high travelling costs and not receiving an increase in their pension benefits since 2001. If you are not able to attend the TRTA Day at the Capitol, please send an email to your legislators asking for their support on our TRTA legislative agenda.

You may want to forward this email to your friends, fellow retirees, your family, and any active school employees that you know. Their help in educating legislative members about the importance of retirement security for our state public education retirees is very beneficial. We need everyone willing to send an email to our Texas Legislature asking to restore funding to these vital programs.

TRTA will post live updates to our Facebook page during tomorrow’s event. A recap of the TRTA Day at the Capitol will be posted to the Línea interior tomorrow, as well. Please click here if you want to download the TRTA Day at the Capitol Talking Points and Information page.

Thank you again to everyone participating in the TRTA Day at the Capitol. We do appreciate your being able to come to Austin, or your virtual participation through the email advocacy campaign. Your membership activity is what makes TRTA the successful organization that it is.

TRS Candidate Information

Many of you have contacted the TRTA office asking for additional information on the three people running for the TRS Board of Trustees position. TRTA is happy to provide some additional biographical information, as well as a response from each candidate to a TRTA questionnaire.
To view the candidates’ biographical information as it appears in the TRTA Voice news bulletin, please click here.

To read the candidates statement on the TRTA questionnaire, please click here.

TRTA is not endorsing any candidate for the TRS position. We are grateful that all three candidates are TRTA members and have expressed support for how this association works to protect the retirement security of all TRS retirees.

As you may know, the statute pertaining to the TRS Board of Trustees annuitant election says that a slate of the top three vote-getters is provided to the Governor for his eventual appointment to the TRS Board. While some may suggest this is a reason not to vote in the TRS election, TRTA believes this is an invaluable opportunity for TRTA members to express their interest in the make-up of the TRS Board. A large voter turnout for this election is our goal. TRTA will not try telling you who to vote for; we just ask that you vote! Let’s send a message to the Governor and the legislature that we are very interested in the management of this $108 billion pension trust fund! Please encourage your fellow retirees to vote, as well. We need every eligible voter to get involved and seize this opportunity to be a part of the election process.

Thank you so much for your membership in TRTA. With less than 70 days left in this legislative session, we must continue to press our legislators for their assistance in restoring budget reductions to TRS. Not doing so may have a disastrous impact on the TRS-Care health insurance program. Too much is at stake, your help is needed now.

Click here to send an email to your legislators asking them to preserve TRS funding!

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