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Advocating for Active and Retired
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The Georgia State Retirees Association (GSRA) is an organization focused on keeping retirees and prospective retirees from all parts of Georgia Government informed about any impacts to promised retiree and health insurance benefits.
To contact your legislators:
Georgia House Members contact info HERE
Georgia Senate Members contact info HERE
 
GSRA Legislative representatives Chuck Freedman and Chuck Clay attend the House Retirement Committee meeting (3/2/21) on HB173 Alternative Investments proposal - view comments and watch video HERE
 
   
 
 
The March issue contains exciting news about GSRA's breakthrough legislative session, a membership drive update, and more.
 
The ACL(Administration for Community Living)is the part of HHS that houses the Administration on Aging. ACL is providing access to a webinar on 2/23 on protecting older adults from being victimized by COVID-related scams.
View video of remarks by ERS director Jim Potvin and GSRA Legislative Committee Chair Chuck Freedman before the Senate Retirement Committee on 2/15/21
The Senate Retirement Committee met on Feb. 15 for its second time. Added to the agenda late was SB 167 by Sen. Nan Orrock, a long-time GSRA member and friend. SB 167 removes the prohibition against GSEPS COLAs and mandates semi-annual 1.5% COLAs except in certain conditions. Here is a video of the meeting 450 CAP: 450 CAP on Livestream
GSRA Legislative representatives Chuck Clay and Chuck Freedman attended the meeting. Sen. Orrock speaks at 16:30, Freedman at 24:25, ERS executive director Jim Potvin at 39:00 and Orrock again at 1:07:30.

At 44:22, Mr. Potvin disputed Freedman's assertion that the costs for COLAs were included in the state's employer contributions--known as "ARCs" or "ADECs"--prior to 2009. GSRA maintains its position, regardless of whether or not the COLAs were "prefunded" or "ad hoc," terms which Mr. Potvin uses as part of his position. Mr. Potvin makes several points some of which we agree with and some of which we do not.

View video of remarks by ERS director Jim Potvin and GSRA Legislative Committee Chair Chuck Freedman before the Senate Retirement Committee on 2/03/21

The Senate Retirement Committee met on Feb. 3.. It has a new chairperson, Sen. Randy Robertson, and several new members. The purpose of yesterday's meeting was to introduce the committee's members to parties impacted by the committee's actions and for such parties to provide an overview of their organizations and objectives. Several individuals spoke including ERS director Jim Potvin and GSRA Legislative Committee Chair Chuck Freedman. Freedman's remarks begin at 41:10, and Potvin's remarks begin at 32:30 of this video: Retirement 2/3/21 - from 450 CAP

 Retirement 2/3/21 - from 450 CAP

450 CAP by GA Sen Chamber on Livestream

 

GSRA president Jim Sommerville could not be present for this meeting, but he did attend this session's first meeting of the House Retirement Committee -- which also has a new chairperson -- on Tuesday. He was not invited to address that committee.

Your Legislative Committee has been active, meeting with a key advisor to Gov. Kemp and with several important legislators to obtain support for our issues. We will report on further progress in upcoming weeks. Our professional liaison Chuck Clay and our other Legislative Committee members continue to meet with those legislators including Lt. Governor Duncan, and both house's retirement committee chairs, John Carson and Randy Robertson.