Both NC Senator Sanderson (Sept 2022)  AND NC Representative Celeste Cairns (April 2023) have presented at our CCRSP Meetings!

April 22, 2023

Hello, 7B NCRSP Members!

The NC House has passed its budget, which includes a 1% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) in 2023 and an additional 1% COLA in 2024. Now, the Senate budget writers are working on their budget. PLEASE WRITE ONE MESSAGE AND THEN EMAIL IT TO EACH OF THESE TOP BUDGET WRITERS WHO ARE MAKING THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO GIVE YOU A COLA. They will listen to the Pension Committee Co-Chairs.  Senator Phil Berger makes key decisions and can give approval or disapproval. 

 Senate President Pro Tem (The top leader in the Senate)

1.      Senator Phil Berger  Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov

Appropriation Committee Big Chairs:

1.      Senator Brent Jackson  Brent.Jackson@ncleg.gov

2.      Senator Ralph Hise Ralph.Hise@ncleg.gov

3.      Senator Michael Lee Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov

Pensions Committee Co-Chairs:

1.      Senator Ford   Carl.Ford@ncleg.gov

2.      Senator Joyce Krawiec  Joyce.Krawiec@ncleg.gov

Please email your own state senator in the next few days to ask them to include a 2% COLA in their budget. Share the reason why you need a COLA.

CALLING YOUR SENATOR:

If you prefer to call, it would be better to call during the day, but you can also call overnight and leave a message. Look at the sample voicemail and use that as a guide, but tell your own story:

Sample Voicemail: This is  __________ (your name) and I live in your district. I’m a state retiree. It’s important to me that we get a 2% COLA because it will help me with my __________ expenses. It’s costing me more to pay my utility bills. My most recent bill was _____ and I know that will continue to increase as it gets even warmer. How will I pay for groceries too? I’m counting on you. Please include a 2% COLA in the Senate budget for retired teachers and state employees.  My phone number is ______ .  Thank you. 

EMAIL YOUR SENATOR: 

If you prefer to email your senator, here is a sample. (Remember to tell your own story.) Personalize your subject line so that the email won't go into SPAM. Maybe use your name in the subject li

I am a retired school employee and I live in your district. I need a 2% COLA because I (tell your special situation: need to buy a new appliance and include the cost; am having surgery and will have numerous bills from that;am paying for a student loan, etc…. The more details you can give without making it too lengthy, the better it is.) Please support a 2% COLA for retired teachers and state employees in your senate budget.  Thank you.

(Your name), NCRSP

_    _    _   _   _   _   _   _   _  _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _  _   _   _   _   _   _  _  _  _   _   _   _  __

Keep your message simple, brief, and positive. PROOFREAD! Don’t make demands. Just ask for their support.  How about putting our slogan at the end of your email? Retirees Deserve Better

Thanks, everyone, for your help. Senate budget writers are working on their budget right now. We understand that they have a goal of completing it in the next week or so.

Please make your phone call or send your email by Monday evening, April 24th. 

Jackie Wooten

Region 7B Legislative Chair

NCRSP April 2023 Legislative Update

The Status of the Budget

The NC House has now passed its version of the state budget for 2023-24. Included in the budget is a 1% COLA for this calendar year and an additional 1% COLA for next calendar year, which would give us a 2% COLA over the biennium.

The Senate has been working on its version of the state budget. Key budget writers in the Senate could accept the exact budget that the House passed, but that is highly unlikely. Look for the Senate to vote not concur with the House budget and refer it back to the House. The Senate will submit a different budget that includes its priorities. It is too early to speculate on what the outcome of our state budget will be for the 2023-2023 biennium.  Legislative staff members continue to report to us that the legislature is moving along much more quickly than they have in previous sessions. You are encouraged to email or call your own state House Representative and thank them for remembering state retirees by including a 2% COLA in the 2023-24 biennium budget. You should have received an email from your local or region or state legislative chair asking you to email Senate budget writers as well as your own state senator to ask that they support a 2% COLA in the senate budget. If you didn’t get that email, contact your region legislative chair or state legislative chair by phone or email. We will monitor the Senate’s progress on its budget during the coming weeks.

LCT and Lobbying Activities

Our NCRSP LCTs have recently sent messages of appreciation to Governor Cooper or his liaison for recognizing and supporting state retirees in his budget.  They also emailed the House key budget writers asking for their support of a 2% COLA for state retirees.  President Linda Gunter and Legislative I are visiting and/ or emailing individual legislators to encourage support of items on our NCRSP Legislative Agenda. Region Legislative Chairs will keep you informed of developments in the state legislature.

PAC Donations

Thanks to you, our members, NCRSP has raised over $19,800 in our PAC drive during the month of March. Our state goal was $15,300, so we exceeded our goal for this year. The efforts of PAC Captains, Region Legislative Chairs, and NCRSP state, region, and local leaders helped us achieve our goal.  

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Feburary 2023 - Legislative Report

NCRSP February Legislative Update

Information in this update is current at the time of this writing. Things are moving along quickly during this legislative session, so please be aware that the NCRSP Legislative Committee will keep you posted when there are significant updates, or when we are requesting that you contact your legislators. This week, the NC House passed HB76, Medicaid Expansion. As you may recall, Medicaid expansion is one of our legislative agenda items for this session. Representative Donny Lambeth (Forsyth) introduced the bill, which had three other primary sponsors, Donna McDowell White (Johnston), Michael Wray (Halifax, Northampton, Warren), and Chris Humphrey (Greene, Jones, Lenoir). About 50 other legislators, both Republican and Democrat, were additional bill sponsors. The bill passed the third reading in the House by a vote of 92-22. The bill next goes to the NC Senate, who can vote on this bill, adopt their own Medicaid expansion bill, or take no action. HB76 is directly tied in with the state budget, so if a budget is not adopted by December 31, 2023, the bill would expire.

We are optimistic about the progress that has been made with advancing Medicaid expansion, and will keep you updated. Please be aware our House Legislative Contact Team members (LCTs), contacted their legislative contacts this past week to urge them to support the bill.

Another bill to watch is SB4, which, if passed, would provide for teachers, state employees, and members of other retired government groups who retired with 20 years of service to be exempt from paying NC income tax. This is another of our agenda items. Senator Jim Burgin (Harnett, Lee, and Sampson) introduced the bill and was the primary sponsor. Other sponsors were Gale Adcock (Wake), Lisa Grafstein (Wake), Rachel Hunt (Mecklenberg), DeAndrea Salvador (Mecklenberg), Benton Sawrey (Johnston), Joyce Waddell (Mecklenberg), and Mike Woodard (Durham.) SB4 was sent to the Rules and Operations Committee on January 26 th , so we will see if it comes out of that committee. Both Democrats and Republicans sponsored this bill also.

Note to NCRSP Convention delegates: Representative Donny Lambeth and Senator Jim Burgin are slated to be two of our panelists on our legislative panel at this year’s convention unless they are required to be in session at the time of the panel discussion.

President Linda Gunter and Legislative Chair Colleen Lanier are making visits to individual legislators to share our NCRSP legislative agenda and to seek sponsorship of bills that would support our agenda. In addition, our LCTs are contacting their legislators while during the session.

Some of you have expressed concern over the news that Blue Cross Blue Shield will no longer be our state insurance administrator effective 2025. It’s often difficult for us to adjust to changes, but we feel good about the state working with Aetna as our insurance administrator. Your insurance will remain the same. It is only the administrator that will change. State Treasurer Folwell and the Board of Trustees initiated the change in administrator based on several concerns over Blue Cross Blue Shield including lack of transparency, slow response to consumers’ calls, and delays in fixing problems that arose. Under the Aetna administration, we will retain the same plan options that are offered now. Some of the benefits of having Aetna as our plan’s administrator are that our state health plan will save money, any provider will be included in the plan, all hospitals will be included in the network, there will be more transparency, and consumers will receive more prompt service. Aetna assures us that they will share with the Treasurer and the Board of Trustees factual information about where the savings occur in using their plan. Aetna reports that in states that use them as their administrator, 98% of claims are paid by Aetna and that when problems arise, 99% of the issues get resolved on the first call. One issue that the Aetna representatives said they are going to pursue is working on the cost of family coverage. 

President Gunter and I have heard from NEA members in other states that use Aetna and these colleagues are pleased with the service that is provided. Please remember that Aetna does not take over as administrator until 2025.

Our NCRSP PAC campaign is going on through Friday, March 10 th . We encourage you to contribute to our Political Action Committee (PAC) during the PAC drive. Any amount you can donate is appreciated. Checks are to be made to NCAE-PAC but the funds are for our NCRSP.

Jackie Wooten

CCRSP and Region 7B Legislative Chair

January 2023 - Welcome to a new year, NCRSP members!                                                                                            

Here is the latest information regarding NC legislative issues:  The NC General Assembly will convene to begin introducing and discussing bills and holding committee meetings on January 25th.  Our NCRSP Legislative Contact Team members (LCTs) will communicate with the legislators on a regular basis as we move our legislative agenda forward. We will keep you updated. NCRSP lobbyists and members will monitor legislative activity in person. Our legislative activists will communicate with Speaker Tim Moore and Senator Phil Berger regarding our NCRSP legislative priorities.

Our 2023 NCRSP PAC Campaign, "Retirees Deserve Better", will start on February 10, 2023 and end on March 10, 2023.   An email will be sent out to all members by Regional Legislative Chairs or Local Legislative Chairs with details regarding how and where to send your PAC donations, as well as why this campaign is important. Please support our PAC Campaign this year. NCRSP/NCAE/NEA dues are not used for political activity and if we want to support public education and maintain our benefits, we need to be involved in supporting pro-public education legislators. Remember that you may donate to PAC at any time of the year but that this specific time helps us put money into our NCRSP PAC account.

You may have heard the NC Treasurer Dale Folwell has announced that beginning January 2025, the state health plan administrator will be Aetna and not Blue Cross/ Blue Shield. Treasurer Folwell states that Aetna will be more transparent and more cost-effective for the state. Retirees will still have a choice regarding using Aetna or Humana.

Let’s work today and stay informed in 2023.

Jackie Wooten

CCRSP and Region 7B Legislative Chair

Our Cause is just and pure. Look at these facts:

LEGISLATION THAT NEEDS ATTENTION AND REVIVAL: NC Senator Norman Sanderson sponsors bill to protect our pensions from taxation: