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LOBBY DAY Tuesday, |
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March 10, 2011
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble Rally (and Lobby)
Are you ready to rally and lobby in support of retired educators at the state Capitol on Tuesday, March 15?
Hundreds of OREA members have told us they’re coming. Will you be among them, to make our voice stronger?
We’ll lobby for the goals in our legislative program, such as a fair and equitable cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), increased funding for the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), special one-time benefit for retired educators living in poverty, improved TRS health insurance subsidy, and more.
Most important, we will tell legislators they must not take away the lifetime retirement security afforded us by the defined benefit plan design of TRS. OREA believes a defined contribution retirement system – which many legislators want to establish – would leave retired educators financially vulnerable during a retirement lasting many years. The issue is “retirement security” versus “retirement insecurity.”
We won’t be alone Tuesday. Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of active educator members of the Oklahoma Education Association will support us in our efforts to protect lifetime retirement security. They’ll also lobby on other issues affecting how they practice their profession today.
Here are some of the Tuesday details:
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Location: State Capitol, Oklahoma City (NE 23rd and Lincoln)
Registration: Beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the east end of the first floor hall of the Capitol (most convenient Capitol entrance is east side first floor).
Parking: Lots south and east of the Capitol. Additional parking is available at the Oklahoma History Center northeast of the Capitol (north side of 23rd street); Tinsel Town movie theater complex near I-244 and Martin L. King Boulevard; state parking lot at 28th Street and Stiles (north of Capitol adjacent to Lincoln Blvd.)
OREA shuttle service: Transporting OREA, OEA members and others to east Capitol entrance from east and south Capitol parking lots 8:30 – 9:45 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
OEA shuttle service: Transporting OEA, OREA members and others to 24th street, one block north of Capitol, from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon (approximate). Consult OEA staff or bus monitors for specific details.
Rally: 10:00 a.m. on the south steps of the Capitol, OREA President Weldon Davis one of the speakers.
Security: Electronic screening is required at all Capitol entrances (east entrance on first floor; southwest entrance on first floor; west entrance basement level; east entrance basement level from east parking lot)
Lobby packets: Available at OREA registration table in east hall of Capitol first floor. Packets will include: cover letter describing contents; legislative palm cards to be distributed to legislators; priority bill list to serve as lobbying resource; yellow visitation cards to be left in legislative offices when legislators cannot be visited in person; lobby report form to be completed and returned to OREA registration desk prior to departure from Capitol.
Lobby materials: Some lobby materials will be posted on the OREA website at www.orea.org and e-mailed to all members on the OREA e-mail list on Monday, March 14.
Lobby report forms: Completed forms to be returned to OREA registration desk prior to departure from Capitol.
If you have questions regarding any aspect of lobby day activities, do not hesitate to contact the OREA office.
See you at the Capitol on Tuesday!
PROTECT YOUR RETIREMENT SECURITY!
LOBBY LEGISLATORS AT THE STATE CAPITOL
TUESDAY, MARCH 15TH, 9:00 A.M.
The Teachers’ Retirement System and other state pension systems are under attack from all directions in the state legislature.
Many bills working their way through the legislature would, if enacted into law, make fundamental changes – for the worse – in retiree benefits. Several of them would drastically alter the basic structure of state retirement systems, threatening the long term retirement security of current and future retirees.
“Retirement security” is what’s at stake. The current defined benefit plans of state retirement systems provide retirement security. Defined contribution plans, which many legislators say they want to establish, would eliminate retirement security.
The Teachers’ Retirement System, the most poorly funded of the state-sponsored pension systems, stands to be the most affected. Almost 50,000 retired educators could lose almost all hope of receiving much-needed and well-deserved cost-of-living benefits adjustments (COLAs) in the years ahead. Those yet to retire could find reduced benefits – plus no COLAs – when they do. A future generation of public educators could stand to lose the basic framework of the current retirement system altogether.
Make your plans to come to the state Capitol in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, March 15. Bring other retired educators and family members with you. We must speak loudly and with one strong voice so lawmakers will hear and respond.
More information will be provided in coming days.
