Dismissal Reasons Bill Dies; Pension Bill Amended

Post date: Apr 29, 2011 3:02:30 AM

Legislative Update for 4/27/2011:

The OEA reports that SB 534 from our own Senator Ford, which added insubordination and dishonesty, among other things, as reasons for teacher dismissal, has been laid over for the session and will not be considered. The OEA had strongly opposed the bill as dangerously vague as well as unnecessary.

On the pensions front, SB 377 passed the house after being amended. It now retains the existing "rule of 90" early retirement provision with the significant limitation that there is now a minimum retirement age of 60. Reportedly it outlines some sort of alternate provisions for early retirement between 60 and 65, with benefits ranging from 65% to 100% of the full retirement benefit. Details are not available yet, as the engrossed version of the bill has not been posted. Existing members are not affected: there is no change to the "rule of 80" for those who entered the system before July 1992 and the "rule of 90" still applies to those who entered after July 1992 but before November 2011. The bill now returns to the senate for consideration.