From our Association’s viewpoint, it was only fitting that the Committee scheduled our pension cost-of-living bill (H335) as the opening bill in a 21-item agenda.

The presentation was made by Ralph White and Shawn Duhamel with a host of backers, registering support, including the police and fire unions and the Mass Association of Retirement Systems.

White urged the Committee to seek cost figures for the bill’s new $20 thousand COLA base before taking any action.

“Knowing the Committee cannot give a favorable report to a bill without attaching a price tag, we asked that they request actuarial numbers from the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission, which they have done,” said White. “This data will include the State and Teachers’ Retirement System. We are also working with the Committee to provide the same data from a cross-section of local retirement systems. We say cross-section because the funding schedules vary greatly from system to system.

“This will be a slow, orderly process, it’s a two-year legislative session. Senator Joyce and Representative Dempsey and the committee members are very familiar with the history of our Association. We have always been aggressive in fighting for our members, but at the same time fair and reasonable in working with the legislature. I am confident that 2001-2002 will be a productive session.”