If you are a public employee in Florida, read this and send it to other public employees

[Orlandodem]

Senate Bill 4


Public Employee Retirement and FRS Issues


Oppose these Retirement Bills:

HB 1319 by Rep. Grady, R-76, Naples

HB 1543 by Rep. Zapata, R-119,-Miami

SB 1902 by Sen. Bennett, R-21, Bradenton


These bills are being moved onto a fast track for passage in the 2010 Florida Legislative Session. One of these bills is scheduled to be voted on in the House Governmental Affairs Policy Committee next week -- HB 1319, by Rep Grady. We are hearing that an amendment is being drafted that will make the bill effective immediately (instead of the bill’s current effective date of 7/01/2011).

HB 1319 makes the following changes:

• Employees hired on or after 7/01/2011, and employees entering DROP on or after 7/01/2011, will be required to pay 1% of gross salary as contribution to FRS

• The definition of average final salary calculation is changed from the highest five years to the average of total career service and salary

• Overtime and other types of compensation (such as leave payouts) may not be included in pension calculations

• Public employees enrolled in the Regular Class of FRS could retire after 33 years instead of the current 30 years (effective 7/01/2011)

• For public employees enrolled in the Regular Class of FRS, the retirement age would rise to 65 years from the current 62 years

• For public employees enrolled in the Regular Class of FRS, the FRS accrual rate is lowered to 1.44% from the current 1.6% (effective 9/30/2011)

• Vesting (eligibility for retirement) changes as follows (effective 7/01/2011):

o From 6 years and age 62, to 6 years and age 65

o From 30 years at any age, to 33 years at any age

• Employees retiring on or after July 1, 2010 may not exceed 80% of their average final compensation (current law: may not exceed 100%)


The sponsors of these bills claim that revising FRS and public employee retirement benefits would save the state money during this time of declining revenues and the need to fund a $3 billion budget deficit. Sponsors of this legislation believe that changes to the Florida Retirement System (FRS) could reduce costs to Florida’s budget.

HB 1319 would result in out-of-pocket costs for public education employees who would suffer reduction of their actual retirement benefit the retiree receives. Further, HB 1319 would result in out-of-pocket costs for public education employees who would be required to make increased payroll deductions towards their retirement plan.

Call your Legislator today and tell them not to balance the budget on the backs of Florida’s employees and retirees. Tell your Legislator to vote no on HB 1319 (and HB 1543, and SB 1902)!

[Riley18]

1. The Republican legislature in FL is set to ruin every person working for the state.

Also SB6 which Senator John Thrasher is pushing through will end free public education in Florida. If he gets what they want, there will only be corporate profit centers called charters in the state.

[WinterParkDonkey]

2. Thasher has a personal agenda

His son graduated from Anapolis, after he left the Navy, he applied to medical school in Gainesville and was denied admittance. I don't know what the circumstances were. Thrasher then tried to ram a bill through the former University Board of Regents to start a medical school at the University of West Florida -- which the University did not want. Thrasher then conspired with former governor jeb bush (lower case intended) to destroy both the university system and the public employees union representing them but dismantling the Regents and forming what became the "Board of Governors". He also got the legislature to pass a bill that stated that any graduates of either West Point or Anapolis were automatically accepted to any public medical school if they applied.

[Orlandodem]

3. If you think for one second that Rick Scott won't gut your pension you better think again and go

vote for SINK! You better get 5 people to vote for SINK! Rick Scott is BAD NEWS!!!!!

The combination of Scott, Haridopolos and Dean Cannon will be a disaster. If you are the parent, child, sibling, or friend of any public employee please inform them of this post. The legislature has a history of targeting hard working public employees and they'll do it again.