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Legislative Goals
The North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association has several ongoing legislative priorities as well as specific goals that are adopted prior to each Session of the General Assembly. These priorities and goals reflect our commitment to serve the interests of our members.
Legislative Priorities
- Protect the integrity of the state retirement systems to ensure that retired governmental employees continue to receive the benefits that they earned during their careers
- Seek regular increases in pension benefits for retired governmental employees
- Support measures to preserve the long-term stability of the State Health Plan
Legislative Goals for 2007-2008
- Cost of Living (COLA) Adjustments
Retired Teachers and State Employees: Support a COLA that is at least equal to the rate of inflation or to the COLA granted to active state employees, whichever is greater.
Retired Local Governmental Employees: Support a COLA that is at least equal to the rate of inflation.
- State Health Plan
Support General Fund appropriations to maintain current benefit levels with no increases in the annual deductible, out-of-pocket maximums and co-payments.
- Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement Systems (TSERS) Accrual Rate
Support a 0.01% increase in the TSERS accrual rate to 1.83% with the aim of achieving parity with the Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System’s accrual rate of 1.85% during the next three years.
- Repayment of Escrowed Funds
Support repayment of the remaining $45 million plus accrued interest to the TSERS of the funds escrowed by the Governor in 2001.
The Legislative Committee also acknowledges the importance in increasing the state’s employer contribution rate to the TSERS during the next several years to 6% in order to produce gains that will sustain retiree benefit enhancements. The General Assembly did not make a contribution to the retirement fund in 2002. In the past four years, the contribution rate has been gradually raised and now stands at 2.66% of payroll.
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