AERA members are not only good leaders but are also followers. They make AERA strong!

Members, After a good day on Tuesday in the Senate when we saved the threat to TRS Board of Controls from removing AEA Executive Secretary and others, Wednesday was a disappointing day in the Senate.  During the Finance and Taxation Education Committee chaired by Senator Trip Pittman, the ETF Budget passed by the House was amended to reduce active K-12 school employees’ pay raise to 1 percent and NO COLA for retirees. I did speak on behalf of retirees at the hearing on the budget and later in the morning on the Pay Raise Bill. Unfortunately, my words fell on deaf ears. This effort is not over – we will be ready for the 2014 Legislative Session – also Election Year. Let’s see what happens when legislators know you are watching their vote and will turn around and ask for your vote.

I usually avoid taking a political position as I know that our members are Republican, Democrat and Independent voters but I believe I need to be open and honest with our members. If your legislator is a Republican, please let them know how disappointed you are over their votes to support the Accountability Act, which basically guts public education and takes away the possibility of a COLA for retirees. The Senate will most likely pass the ETF Budget and send it back to the House since it was amended.

Remember sometimes we may lose a battle but still win the war! It is not over.

Janice Charlesworth
AERA Executive Secretary

Alabama Senate panel cuts teacher raise, slashes estimate for school tax credits despite plan to expand them

by Alabama Arise (Notes) on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 7:02pm

Alabama’s K-12 teachers would see their proposed pay raise halved next year under an Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget that the Senate’s ETF budget committee approved 7-3 Wednesday. The $5.77 billion budget also would reduce the amount set aside for income tax credits that could subsidize private school tuition for students zoned for “failing schools” under the Alabama Accountability Act. That lower cost estimate would come despite the Senate Education Committee’s 6-3 vote Wednesday to double tax credits for corporate donations to scholarship funds for such students. Both bills will go to the Senate.

Budget would halve teacher pay raise, pre-K expansion funds

The Senate ETF budget committee’s spending plan would cut proposed pay increases for K-12 teachers and support staff next year to 1 percent, half of the 2 percent raise that the House passed earlier this month. The budget also would provide teachers with a one-time 1 percent bonus if ETF revenues exceed predictions. “Any pay raise that is given has to be sustained,” said Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, who chairs the committee. Cutting the raise would allow the state to repay the ETF’s rainy day fund more quickly and to boost funding for textbooks and school buses, Pittman said.

Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, denounced the move, saying money that will go to credits for private school tuition could have boosted teacher pay instead. “I’m so pained by that reduction in the teacher salary,” Sanders said. “I want to be supportive, but it’s hard to overcome that.”

Pre-kindergarten would receive $6.25 million, or 32.5 percent, more next year under the Senate panel’s budget. That increase would allow Alabama’s highly rated voluntary pre-K program to serve about 1,300 more students, but it would be only half the size of the increase that the House approved.

AP, AMSTI funds up; Alabama Reading Initiative faces major cut

Retirees, AERA activated it’s network yesterday to begin calling your Senators in an effort to stop SB439, Combining of PEEHIP and SEIB Boards. You may receive a robo call from AEA asking for your help. This bill will impact all PEEHIP participants, active and retired. Please take action now!

Reasons to oppose:

1. No cost savings
2. Two different budgets – General Fund is not as “healthy” as ETF Budget
3. Don’t fix what is not broken – PEEHIP is doing well
4. Fair representation would be lost for participants. It is important for participants to have impact and voting power.

Link to AEA Digital Newspaper

(Audio Below) Robo call to Republican Senate districts last night.

Members, there is a chance that this bill (SB439) could be on the floor of the Senate as early as Tuesday, April 23. Please contact your Senator at home this weekend and urge him/her to oppose SB439, Proposes to Combine PEEHIP and SEIB Insurance Boards and change the composition of the board.
 
Here are the reasons why they should vote NO:
 
1.     No cost savings
2.     Two different budgets – General Fund is not as “healthy” as ETF Budget
3.     Don’t fix what is not broken – PEEHIP is doing well
4.     Fair representation would be lost for participants. It is important for participants to have impact and voting power.
 
Please spread the word to those who do not have email access.
We need retirees calling their Senators only this weekend.
 
Janice Charlesworth
Executive Secretary

Members,
 
SB439 sponsored by Senator Del Marsh proposes to create a new insurance board, titled the Public Employee’s Health Insurance Board (PEHIB), to govern the Public Education Employees and State Employees Health Insurance Plans. The bill provides for membership, election and qualifications of certain members and terms for appointed and elected members. The new board would be referred to as the Public Employees’ health Insurance Board or PEHIB.  Members include:
1.     State Superintendent of Education
2.     State Director of Finance
3.     State Health Officer
4.     State Personnel Director
5.     Secretary Treasurer of the ERS
6.     One person appointed by the Governor
7.     One person appointed by the Lieutenant Governor whose term shall expire November 1, 2015
8.     One person appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Alabama Senate whose term shall expire November 1, 2015
9.     One person appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, whose term shall expire November 1, 2016
10.   An active governmental employee of the state covered by the State Employees’ health Insurance Plan and elected by the full time state employees receiving health insurance benefits
11.   A retired employee state covered by the State Employees’ health Insurance Plan and elected by the retired state employees receiving health insurance benefits
12.   An active governmental employee of the state covered by the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan and elected to the board by the full-time employees receiving health insurance benefits
13.   A retired employee state covered by the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan and elected to the board by the by the retired employees receiving health insurance benefits
14.   A governmental employee, active or retired, covered by the Local Government health Insurance Program and elected to the board by those receiving benefits of the Local government health Insurance Program
 
The appointed board members shall also possess a knowledge and understanding of health care, insurance, or employee benefits.
The membership of the board shall be inclusive and reflect the racial, gender, geographic urban/rural, and economic diversity of the state.
 
This is another case of “Don’t fix what isn’t broken!” Call your senator today and urge him/her to oppose SB439. Although the sponsor reported that there would be a cost savings at some point, there is no cost savings projected.
 
The bill received a favorable report in committee today, Wednesday April 17 and could be up for vote in the Senate on Thursday. Call today 334-242-7800 or directly to your senator’s office. I did speak with Senator Dick Brewbaker who told me he opposed this bill. If you are represented by Senator Brewbaker, please thank him for supporting us. This is one more effort to take control of the PEEHIP and SEIB funds and the Board of Control.
 
Make that phone call and protect your health insurance today!
 
Your continued support is appreciated. Please share this information with those who do not receive email alerts.
 
Janice Charlesworth
AERA Executive Secretary
 

AERA Members,
Thank you so much for your interest in contributing to my platform! I am so thankful and appreciative of your generosity. The checks should be made out to P.A.W.S. for Autism and my address is:

Miss Alabama Pageant Inc.
Attn: Anna Laura Bryan, P.A.W.S. for Autism
2809 Crescent Ave. Suite #2
Birmingham, AL 35209

And thank you so much for helping me get on the Ellen Show. The way it works is you go to the Ellen website www.ellentv.com then click the tab that says "Show Info" then you click the tab "Be on the show" and click "view all" from there. You will see several different tabs but I would say click the tab that says "Dear Ellen" - which is a suggestion page and then you fill out a little form saying why you would like to see Anna Laura Bryan, Miss Alabama to be on the show. The more submissions the better.

It was such an honor to be a part of the annual meeting and it meant the world to my grandmother. I have never seen her so proud. Thank you so much again for all of your generosity and support!

Anna Laura Bryan
Miss Alabama 2012