The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) extends its season’s greetings to all of our members and friends. As the year draws to a close, we know our dedicated retirees will enjoy spending time with loved ones and celebrating the holidays.
We at TRTA, the Board of Directors and staff, want to express our sincere appreciation to all of you for the support you have given to this great organization in 2023.
Because of you, Senate Bill 10 and HJR 2 passed, providing the first ever cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 70% of Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) annuitants! Together, we coordinated an intensive statewide effort to pass Proposition 9. As a result, Prop 9 received more votes than any of the other 13 amendments on the ballot! TRS retirees will begin seeing their COLAs applied to their monthly annuities in January 2024.
Several hundred thousand TRS annuitants also received a stipend in September. The much-needed financial relief from the stipends and COLA will help more than 400,000 retirees! Your persistent willingness to call, email, and visit your elected officials gives a face to the issues impacting TRS retirees and truly makes a difference!
TRTA’s charitable partner, the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF), has raised more than $70,000 since November for its vital programs to help educators of the past, present, and future. You can help TRTF reach $100,000 by donating online today!
As our members know, TRTA’s work is never done. There is more for us to accomplish! What we have achieved together is nothing short of remarkable. But let there be no doubt: retirees need and deserve MORE!
While there is no state legislative session in 2024, TRTA is focused on making a difference in Congress! Most TRS retirees do not receive Social Security. The time to eliminate the arbitrary Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) and get your earned benefits back in your pocket is NOW!
For now, we hope you enjoy this beautiful holiday season and are ready to get engaged in WEP and GPO reform in 2024! The TRTA state office in Austin will be closed in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays December 18, 2023 through January 1, 2024. We will reopen for regular business hours on January 2, 2024.
Thank You
Thank you for your membership to TRTA. If you are not yet a member, we need you to help us protect your retirement security. Please join TRTA today!
If you know someone who should be a member of TRTA who has not yet joined, please consider buying them a TRTA membership—just $35—as a gift for this holiday season!
Be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Year-end, tax-deductible donations to TRTF can be made online here.