Action Alerts and Action WatchesWhen circumstances arise that warrant immediate action on the part of its members, the Association issues Action Alerts. Current and prior Action Alerts are listed below. Action Watches are communiques of a more informational nature that do not require a response on the part of members. Current and prior Action Watches are listed below.
Action Alerts/Action WatchesApril 4, 2022GSRA 2022 ACTION ALERT 5 REQUEST TO SENATE TO NOT HEAR HB 1288 OR DEFEAT IT IF BROUGHT TO FLOOR.What You Should Know HB 1288 would allow beneficiaries of state group term life insurance members to assign life insurance benefits to licensed funeral services providers to pay for funeral services. This bill passed the House. It was assigned to the Senate Retirement Committee. GSRA understood from ERS that the bill would die there. Unfortunately, the committee took up the bill and passed it. It now awaits action on the Senate floor. Why It Matters ERS and GSRA both oppose this bill. ERS Executive Director Jim Potvin spoke against this bill in committee. He said that the current law’s prohibition against beneficiaries assigning benefits is for the purpose of protecting beneficiaries in stressful times of eminent or actual death of loved ones. He also expressed concerns that if an exception is to be made for funeral services providers, the precedent will open the gates for legislative exceptions to be made for all kinds of other purposes and potentially unethical purveyors who prey on the elderly. GSRA shares these concerns. What You Should Do Compose a message for all senators and address it to them by copying the entire column of email addresses from https://gsra.memberclicks.net/assets/documents/Senate%20email%20addresses.xlsx and pasting them into the “To” area of the new message. Then press enter to lock in the email addresses. If desired, you can also view the full Senate information for each Senator by clicking: https://gsra.memberclicks.net/assets/documents/GA%20Senate%20Members.xlsx . With the General Assembly to meet for the last time this year on Monday, IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ASAP – LIKE TODAY!! Suggested content for your message: • As an ERS retiree, you oppose legislation which could seriously disadvantage and materially affect uninformed retirees and their beneficiaries. No one asked your opinion when the bill was being drafted, and you oppose it. • You recognize that the bill makes the assignment of benefits optional, not mandatory. • Nonetheless, you do not consider this option to be beneficial, and it could be harmful under certain circumstances. • You are also concerned that passage of this bill could set a precedent for future bills providing for assignment of benefits to all manner of other vendors who prey upon senior citizens who are often mentally and/or physically in weakened conditions. • You understand the concerns of funeral homes, many of which are family businesses and which have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but there must be a better way of addressing those issues than the method provided by HB 1288. • You wish the senator to request the rules committee to keep the bill off the calendar. • Should the bill be taken up on the floor, you request the senator to vote against it. When you write these messages, we know that your tone will be courteous and respectful. In composing your message, USE YOUR OWN WORDS! We greatly undercut our effectiveness and credibility if we use the same words. Deliver your messages ASAP – TODAY!!
March 29, 2022
GSRA Action Alert 4 - COLA REQUEST TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING
What You Should Know:
Since our last action alert, the Governor and the House have ignored our requests for funding needed to provide meaningful COLAs this coming year. GSRA definitively demonstrated that the $118 million in state funds recommended by the governor and included by the House in its appropriations bill, HB 911, will not be sufficient. ERS has stated it anticipates it will award a COLA of only 1.25%. Roughly $200 million in state funds more will be necessary to fund a 3% COLA.
As stated in Action Alert 1, state revenues in FY 2021 broke all records by a large margin. State revenues in FY 2022 are almost comparable. Since then, another robust month of collections has been reported for January, and February brought a positive growth as well, albeit considerably less.
The appropriations bill has passed both houses and now awaits resolution by a conference committee to be appointed by each house. Convincing this committee, the speaker, the lieutenant governor, and the governor to add more money remain our last chance for getting a meaningful COLA next year.
Why It Matters:
If no more money is appropriated for COLAs than is currently proposed, ERS will calculate, through its recently proposed formula, COLAs so insignificant as to be meaningless to retirees receiving benefits at or below the median amount of $22,000/year ($23 per month for these retirees. It’s as simple as that. Time is running short. The House has already acted, so our attention must focus on the Senate at this time.
What You Should Do:
Call each member of the HB 911 conference committee, the speaker, the lieutenant governor, and the governor if you are comfortable with that. ALSO, compose a message and send it to each member of the conference committee, the speaker, and the lieutenant governor (sending messages to the governor is very complicated and restrictive. Calling him [actually, his constituent services staff] at 404.656.1776 is the best option). With the committee set to meet shortly, IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ASAP – LIKE TODAY!!
Suggested content for your message:
• State that while you appreciate the money that is earmarked in the appropriations bill (HB 911) for a COLA, it will not be adequate for a COLA that will help much to combat inflation of over 10% in the past year.
• To the extent you can, describe how serious your economic situation is, how badly you need a sizable COLA to help make ends meet, and how insufficient the anticipated 1.25% COLA will be for you to do that.
• If you have had to apply for public and/or private assistance to supplement your pension, be sure to mention that.
• Ask the committee member to support adding significantly more funding – preferably $200 million – for an ERS COLA in the appropriations bill.
• You might then point out that you are well aware of the massive increase in state revenues this year along with huge influx of federal funding, and you are quite aware that the money is available for us if only the senator has the compassion and the will to make it available.
Here are the contact details:
Jan Jones, Speaker Pro-Tem
404.656.5072
Jon Burns, Majority Leader
404.656.0552
Terry England, Chair Appropriations Committee
404.463.2247
David Ralston, Speaker of the House
404.656.5020
Butch Miller, President Pro-Tem
404.656.6578
Mike Dugan, Majority Leader
404.656.7872
Blake Tillery, Chair Appropriations Committee
404.656.5038
Geoff Duncan, Lieutenant Governor
404.656.5030
When you write these messages, we know that your tone will be courteous and respectful. As appropriate, you can describe the impacts on you and your family from not having received a COLA since 2009 while your living costs have risen. Include descriptions of new costs you have incurred since 2009, such as for hospitalizations, medications, or personal assistants or assisted living accommodations. You can also point out that all other state-funded employees and retirees except us have previously received COLAS, and TRS actives and retirees are slated to do so again in FY 2023.
In composing your message, USE YOUR OWN WORDS! We greatly undercut our effectiveness and credibility if we use the same words.
Deliver your messages ASAP – TODAY!!
January 10, 2022
ACTION ALERT 3 – Please Contact Gov. Kemp to support COLA!
What You Should Know
Today, the state and the Employees Retirement System are in the best fiscal position to pay for a COLA in recorded memory. And this ability comes not a minute too soon, because inflation is the highest in decades, severely eroding our already decimated retirement benefits.
State revenues in FY 2021 broke all records by a large margin. State revenues in FY 2022 are almost comparable. Returns on investments of our ERS pension fund have also been the highest in the fund’s history. FY 2021 return on investments through May approached or surpassed 30%, with the pension fund growing by about $3 billion, well over 20%. This has greatly increased the fund’s percentage of funded liabilities, that is, the fund’s capability to pay for future retiree benefits. FY 2022 pension fund growth is lower but appears to be exceeding the ERS’s assumed rate of return to maintain the fund’s ability to pay future benefits.
Why It Matters
The Governor has finalized both the FY 2022 Amended Budget and the FY 2023 “big” Budget Report. These will not be disclosed until at least this Thursday and perhaps not until the following week. There is a fair possibility that he has recommended some funds for some kind of COLA but nothing is certain. Nonetheless, it is important that the governor receive strong encouragement to do the right thing from us retirees who are most affected by his actions.
What You Should Do
Compose a message to the governor along the lines of how much you need a COLA. When you do this, we know that your tone will be courteous and respectful. (Keep in mind that Governor Kemp has personally twice met with GSRA representatives while his two predecessors did not meet once with us.) As appropriate, you can describe the impacts on you and your family from not having received a COLA since 2009 while your living costs have risen. Include descriptions of new costs you have incurred since 2009 such as for hospitalizations, medications, or personal assistants or assisted living accommodations. You can also point out that all other state-funded employees and retirees except us have previously received COLAS, and TRS actives and retirees are slated to do so again in FY 2023. The governor is well aware of the recent massive increases in state revenues and pension fund earnings, but feel free to mention them if you want.
In composing your message, USE YOUR OWN WORDS! We greatly undercut our effectiveness and credibility if we use the same words.
Deliver your message. You can do this by one or more of the following methods:
- Calling the governor’s office at 404.656.1776 or 800.436.7442,
- Writing and mailing the governor a letter to
The Honorable Brian Kemp, Governor
206 Washington Street
Suite 203, State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334,
- Writing the governor through his online application. This requires completing several steps:
- Toggle down to “2. Get Help Online,” and click on “Select.:
- A drop-down menu appears, toggle down and click on “COVID-19: Other Concerns.” (No, this is not a mistake. According to the governor’s Constituent Services office, this is the catch-all category for concerns not related to any of the categories in the drop-down menu.)
- Enter your message in the “Message” box. When done with your message request a response via either email or text.
- Enter your contact information in the other boxes.
- Click “NO” to the question “Are you writing on behalf of an organization or group?”
Time is of the essence. For your benefit and that of your fellow retirees, act now. TODAY!
November 11, 2022
ACTION ALERT 2 – Please Contact Legislators to support COLA!
Please Contact Legislators To Support COLA You are probably aware that this is a critical time to influence legislators and the Governor to approve a COLA for FY 2023 and, hopefully, every year thereafter. Sen. Nan Orrock has introduced SB 167 which would mandate annual COLAs not just for New and Old Plan retirees, but for GSEPs retirees as well. The Senate Retirement Committee has received an actuarial report that the annual cost for COLAs mandated by SB 167 would exceed $520 million. The one-time cost to fund annual COLAs would exceed $5 billion. These are HUGE numbers, and without massive outpouring of support from retirees, unlikely to be appropriated. But there is some hope. Elections are expected to be tight next year, and legislators and gubernatorial candidates will certainly be searching for votes. With the special session coming to a close and legislators preparing for the 2022 session, NOW is the time to make your opinions known. Personal visits and telephone calls are much more persuasive than messages and letters, although those do help. We urge you to make appointments or call your legislators NOW. You can find out who they are and their contact information by going to the GSRA website at www.mygsra.com and clicking on the House and Senate contact information links shown at the top of the Homepage. We suggest you stress how much damage inflation has done to your budget over the years without any permanent increase in your retirement benefit, and particularly how hard hit you have been by the 6.2% inflation of this most recent year. Unless you feel comfortable doing so, avoid getting into details about the cost and how it would be funded. Your GSRA Board of Directors
February 17, 2019Action Watch announces ERS Board Meeting requiring GSRA representation. February 13, 2019Action Alert presents 2019 first COLA writing and calling campaign. February 4, 2019As we have previously communicated, GSRA Day at the Capitol and Legislative Reception honoring legislators is scheduled for this Wednesday, February 6, 2019. GSRA members will have the opportunity to interact with their legislators during the day event at the Capitol and later that evening at the GSRA-GPHSA Legislative Reception at the Empire Room of the Floyd Building.
If you have not already invited your legislator, please do so now by clicking on the “Take Action” button below. When you click on the TAKE ACTION button, an email invitation that is already addressed by the software to your specific legislators will be displayed. Please be sure that the legislators indicated are your legislators. If you have changed your address without notifying GSRA, the system may not have your correct legislators. If you discover this to be the case, you will want to exit the system and contact your legislators via phone or your personal email rather than use this system.
At this point, you are ready to send your message. If you are planning on attending the reception, you will have the option to add to the end of the generated message that you are looking forward to seeing your legislator there. Then press "Send", and the prepared message inviting your legislators to the reception will be sent.
Please click on the TAKE ACTION button below, and please accept our thanks for helping ensure the success of this important event!January 17, 2019GSRA Day at the Capitol and Legislative Reception honoring legislators is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6, 2019. GSRA members will have the opportunity to interact with their legislators during the day event at the Capitol and later that evening at the GSRA-GPHSA Legislative Reception at the Empire Room of the Floyd Building.
In order to make the Legislative Reception a success, we need GSRA members from across the state to attend. Legislators are much more likely to attend the reception if they know their own constituents will be attending and less likely to attend if they doubt that their constituents will be present. Because of this, GSRA needs you to register and attend the reception and personally invite your legislators to attend. Please make a commitment and go to www.mygsra.com and register to attend the reception. The deadline to register online is February 2, 2019.
In addition, TAKE ACTION to invite your legislators to attend the GSRA - GPHSA Legislative Reception on February 6, 2019 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Empire Room, Floyd Building by following the directions in this Action Alert to access an email invitation that is already addressed by the software to your specific legislators. Please be sure that the legislators indicated are your legislators. If you have changed your address without notifying GSRA, the system may not have your correct legislators. If you discover this to be the case, you will want to exit the system and contact your legislators via phone or your personal email rather than use this system. Otherwise, if the info is correct, merely press "Send", and the prepared message inviting your legislators to the reception will be sent.
Please click on the TAKE ACTION button below, and please accept our thanks for helping ensure the success of this important event!December 8, 2018I hope you had a pleasant Thanksgiving and that this Christmas season will be a joyous one for you. I want to thank again those of you who shared with us and the ERS Board your unfortunate economic hardships stemming from 10 years of no COLAs. The descriptions that roughly eighty GSRA members provided had exactly the hoped for effect in that state leaders are beginning to see the great individual pain that their "cost-cutting" actions have had. And the word is now making its way to the media. But this message is for ALL ERS retirees, regardless of whether you responded last March. James Salzer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution contacted me recently with the following: "... [A GSRA representative] mentioned that the ERS retirees were planning to ask that money be put into the budget for a ... raise for ERS retirees. I would like to do a story about this before the session and I was wondering if you could help me hook up with a couple of retirees who have been impacted by the lack of raises over the past decade. It would add to the story to be able to detail the impact of ERS/General Assembly policy on the lack of raises...[I] would like to see if I can get it onto the front page the first week of January." If you have in fact suffered economic hardship, you have the heartfelt sympathies of all your GSRA companions. Your GSRA leadership is dedicated to obtaining as much relief for you as we possibly can, but we need you to help us help you. I am writing you to ask if you would be willing for Mr. Salzer to interview you so that you can describe directly the hardships you have encountered from the lack of COLAs. GSRA believes that the new governor and the General Assembly are more open than ever before to finally helping us with some form of COLA. You speaking respectfully from your heart to Mr. Salzer may well build on the sympathy we have been gaining since GSRA presented the hardships you and others shared to the ERS board last March. If you sent me an e-mail last March, you should feel free to provide Mr. Salzer the same information that you included in that e-mail. If you did not previously communicate with me and you are willing to speak to Mr. Salzer, please also describe for me the economic hardships you and/or your family have suffered due to the lack of COLAs over a decade. For this purpose, consider that your benefit today would have gradually increased to being at least 30% greater than it is. For example, if your benefit today is $2,500 per month, with COLAs it would be $3,250 per month. I suspect that as a state employee, talking to reporters was frowned upon for you as it was for me and the great majority of non-executives. However, those restrictions no longer apply in this instance. All you will have to do is tell Mr. Salzer about the hardships you have encountered because of not receiving any COLAs for ten years and how (respectfully) you feel about that. You do NOT have to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable. So, again, please favorably consider getting our story out to the new administration and legislators who hold our futures in their hands and to their constituents who might influence them. Please reply to this e-mail whether or not you are willing to be interviewed by AJC reporter James Salzer (which we hope you are). If you are willing to be interviewed, please include your telephone number with your response. If you sent me a message last March, please let me know if there has been any change in your economic condition. Many thanks, Chuck Freedman, Chair GSRA Legislative Committee 404.375.1900 November 26, 2018HB71 is one of two bills active in the General Assembly to address surprise medical bills. Many if not most of us have received these bills for hundreds or thousands of dollars which were not covered by our insurance. The current HB71 would greatly reduce if not eliminate these surprise bills. It would do this by compelling hospitals to require health care providers to participate in the hospitals’ health insurance networks as a condition for hospital credentialing, and by also requiring insurers to allow these providers to participate in their networks. But, we understand that these most important credentialing provisions are threatened, as at least one provider organization has launched a letter writing campaign opposing them. It is critical that HB 71 pass in its current form to provide the protections all consumers so urgently need.
So, we request that you send a message to your representatives IN YOUR OWN WORDS requesting your representative to SUPPORT HB 71 LC 37 2348S (the current HB71 version). Ask your representative to contact a member of the Insurance Committee and to assure that all health care providers at a hospital be included in the hospital’s network.
If you have personally been the victim of one or more surprise bills and have the time to include your experience(s) in your message, so much the better. And, if after you send your email you have the time to call your representative and express your thoughts, that will be good too.
We note that surprise billing does not directly affect those of us over 65 on Medicare Advantage plans and will not affect us unless provisions in the Medicare program are changed. Surprise billing does, however, affect families where a spouse is under 65, and all of your loved ones and friends until they turn 65. So, we urge ALL GSRA members to contact their representatives whether or not they are directly affected.
And a final very important point: for various reasons, the message will go only to your individual representative. This means that without full GSRA member participation, individual representatives will receive relatively few messages instead of hundreds. Therefore, it is CRITICAL that ALL GSRA members respond to this alert. Your future health care costs depend on what you do NOW!!!
August 15, 2018REMINDER! The ERS Board will meet TOMORROW in its usual Northside Drive location at 10:30am (Two Northside 75 - for directions, go to Google Maps [www.google.com/maps] and search for Employees Retirement System of Georgia). Our president and president elect had a very good meeting today with Chairman Lonice Barrett and Executive Director Jim Potvin. One thing that came out is that the Board will NOT be discussing a budget request for a COLA tomorrow. However, Steve and Jim believe from their discussion that ERS is looking to do something to help us, but exactly what is not clear at this point. Even though the Board will NOT be discussing a COLA tomorrow, it is still important for GSRA to have a presence. The Board is more receptive than ever to helping us, and much of that has to be due to the unprecedented large attendance of GSRA members at the last several meetings. So come on out, BE RESPECTFUL, and introduce yourself to the Board members if you get a chance. A statement such as, "Thank you for the adjustments of the last several years, and I would sure appreciate any other help you can give us" would be appropriate.
November 17, 2017Action Watch - This Action Watch contains everything you need to know to participate in the 2018 GSRA Day at the Capitol and Legislative Reception.
January 5, 2013
Action Watch - This Action Watch contains everything you need to know to participate in the 2013 GSRA Day at the Capitol and Legislative Reception.
March 23, 2012Action Alert - This Action Alert asks the members to contact their senators and representatives regarding another Dead Peasants bill being considered using the Advocacy System.
March 21, 2012Action Alert - This Action Alert asks the members to contact their senators and representatives regarding Dead Peasants legislation using the Advocacy System.
February 26, 2012Action Alert - This Action Alert asks the members to contact the Governor regarding SB 402 using the Advocacy System.
February 25, 2012Action Alert - This Action Alert asks the members to contact their senators and representatives regarding Senate Bill 402 - ERS/Alternative Investments, using the Advocacy System.
January 17, 2012Action Watch – This Action Watch provides a reminder and additional information about directions to the events, parking and legislative talking points for the January 31, 2012, GSRA Day at the Capitol and the Legislative Reception. You are encouraged to register and join other GSRA members in visiting our elected representatives.
January 6, 2012Action Watch – This Action Watch provides information about the January 31, 2012, GSRA Day at the Capitol and the Legislative Reception. You are encouraged to register and join other GSRA members in visiting our elected representatives.
Archive
March 26, 2011Quick action is needed to contact members of the Joint Special Committee on Georgia Revenue Structure to support passing out a bill that reflects the Committee's discussion on Thursday, March 24th. We further urge you to contact your own legislators and urge them to vote for the bill coming out of the Committee.
March 26, 2011Quick action is needed to urge Senators and Senate leadership to pass House Bills 293, 297, and 308 to limit and/or prohibit "dead peasants" legislation in the future.
March 16, 2011Immediate action is needed to let your representatives know your concerns related to the 20% increase in SHBP premiums included in the current House FY 2012 budget bill.
January 9, 2011You need YOU! Reminder - GSRA Legislative Day, January 25,2011.
December 28, 2010GSRA has planned two events on January 25, 2011 to enhance our legislative activities--a Meet & Greet @ 11:00 AM at the State Capitol and a Legislative Reception from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. YOU are needed to participate. Read the Action Alert
Immediate action is needed to keep the provisions of the old HB 1380 (which never made it out of committee) from being tacked on to other legislation as the General Assembly comes to a close. Contact your elected officials today!!
HB 1380 may reduce the life insurance coverage for both retirees and active employees and would give the State an insurable interest in your life. AND our pension fund would have to foot the bill! IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED!
ERS Board to hold Annual Meeting June 12, 2009. Come and witness the final vote on the July 2009 and Jan. 2010 COLAs.
ERS Board of Trustees will hold a special called meeting May 21, 2009 to consider COLAs; will hold Annual Meeting June 18 to announce final decision. TRS Board to hold regular meeting on May 27.
Georgia Senate attempts major changes in Health Insurance premiums and benefits. Your immediate action is needed!
Governor proposes LARGE increase in monthly Health Insurance premiums. Act now!
House and Senate Bills bring back "Alternative Investments"
Georgia House COLA Study Committee - Meetings Set
ERS June Board Meeting to be held Thursday June 19th
Senate Bill 80 Passes House Committee
Senate Bill 80
Reduction of COLA and ERS Funding Issues
Update on Senate Bill 80
Update on Senate Bill 80
Explanation of Senate Bill 80
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