House and Senate leaders orchestrated a successful override of Governor Mitt Romney’s vetoes of Section 104 (Insurance Study) and the reinstatement of active state employee’s health insurance contributions to 85/15. Section 104 creates a special commission, in which the Association has been named, that will study the state Group Insurance Commission and the healthcare plans under its control.

Also sent to the governor’s desk on the last day of the formal session, July 31, was a bill (S2263) that allows the Essex Regional Retirement System to begin the process of raising the COLA base to $14,000. While the bill was filed and sponsored by the Essex Regional Retirement Board, the concept is supported by the Association, which views the bill’s passage as an important step forward in raising the COLA base for all retirees.

The Association’s own COLA base bill, H4940, raises the base by four thousand dollars to a new level of $16,000. H4940 is currently before the House Committee on Ways and Means. Association lobbyists will continue to push for the increased COLA base, which potentially could move during informal sessions.

Even though formal sessions are now complete, both the House and Senate will continue to meet informally, twice weekly, through the first Tuesday in January. While no roll call votes can be taken, non-controversial matters can be brought forward and passed.

Governor Romney has approved the veterans bonus for state and teacher accidental disability retirees. Signed into law as Chapter 161 of the Acts of 2006, the law corrects an error contained within Chapter 157, Acts of 2005 and extends the veterans bonus to all eligible state and teacher accidental disability retirees. Those eligible retirees will receive notification from the retirement board in the coming weeks, along with a form to fill out and return to the board with a copy of your DD214 (discharge papers).