Tuesday, March 18, 2008
- Bud Elder
Due to scheduling problems at the state Capitol, the OPEA Retiree Lobby Day has been moved to April 23.
“We wanted to have a day when the legislators were not too busy and when the best facilities were available,” said OPEA Policy and Research Director Trish Frazier.
The meeting will be held in the Capitol Conference Center in Room 104 of the Capitol.
The retiree goals for this legislative session include a four percent COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) for OPERS retirees, effective July 1, 2008, and a two percent automatic COLA each year. The legislature has traditionally given COLAs in election years, leaving retirees to bear the burden of increasing costs.
The schedule for the day is:
9:00 Registration Opens
10:00 Program
Tom Spencer, Executive Director of OPERS
Bill Crain, Executive Director of OSEEGIB (HealthChoice)
Retiree Committee members
11:00 Visit with legislators
1:30 Excess contribution issue update at the OPEA office
“Retirees should plan to attend their Lobby Day and visit with legislators about the challenges we face,” said OPEA Retiree Council Chair Lynne Bussell. “The four percent COLA is critical, but we also must continue to work to take our COLA out of election year politics.”