Eileen Young, CEA-R Legislative Chair

Posted 11/11/2007  Health Care Funding. HB 315, which was introduced by Rep. Scott Oelslager in September, would help ensure affordable health care coverage for retired and current teachers. Contributions by both current teachers would gradually increase by 2.5% over a five-year period. Health Care Advocates--a coalition of management, labor and retiree organizations--contend that this bill is equitable and that the need for passage is urgent. Their position is that if something is not done in the near future, many retirees and disabled teachers will not be able to afford health care coverage.

Posted 10/12/07

HEALTH CARE FUNDING

October 2007. STRS Health Care Advocates--including ORTA and OEA representatives--recommend contacting your own legislators requesting support for hearings and continued discussion HB 315. They also suggest thanking sponsors and cosponsors for reintroducing this bill. Unless something is done money for  health care thru STRS will run out in a few short years. Details include the following:

HB 315 was introduced on September 18, 2007 by Representative Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton). The same proposal was previously introduced last December but no action was taken. The proposal increases contributions from active  teachers by 2.5% and from employers by 2.5%. The increases would be phased in over a five-year period. The additional dollars that these increases would generate would be placed in STRS Ohio's health care fund to help ensure that  affordable health care coverage continues for current and retired teachers.  According to the Health Care Advocates--a coalition of management,  professional, and retiree organizations (including ORTA and OEA), this is an equitable plan that shares the responsibility for health care coverage among retirees,  active teachers, and employers. For the first time, active teachers will be  contributing to their own future health care. If something isn't done in the  near future, many retirees and disabled teachers will not be able to afford  health care coverage.

Retired and current educators are urged to contact their own legislators and sponsors, especially those from their area of the state. Thank the sponsors  for their willingness to take a significant step to further the discussion of this critical issue.

To email any legislators, please just click on their name.  Your email new message will automatically appear.  You can write your own personal message to that representative or senator.

Sponsor is Oelslager

Co-sponsors are:

Barrett
Boyd
Brown
Chandler
Evans
Healy
Hughes
Lundy
Okey
Szollosi
Williams
Yuko

Ask your Franklin County Representative listed below to support hearings and  continued discussion of HB 315. (If you don't know your representative, or if you live in another county, go to www.legislature.state.oh.us Enter your zip code+four or call the Board of Elections 614-462-3100.)

 Larry Flowers (R) Majority Floor Leader
  Jim McGregor (R)
Kevin Bacon (R)
 Jim Hughes (R)
 Larry Wolpert (R) Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee

  Ted Celeste (D) Education Committee
 Dan Stewart (D)
 Tracy Heard (D) Education Committee
 Joyce Beatty (D) Minority Leader

To leave a phone message with a representative, call 1-800-282-0253
Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm

The mailing address for House members is:
 77 S. High Street
Columbus OH  43215.
 

DIVESTITURE OF INVESTMENTS

HB 151 would require divestiture of investments in any foreign corporation doing business in or with Iran and Sudan. Only the pension funds of public employees, not private pension funds would be affected. The House was set to vote on the bill in June when the Speaker of the House Jon Husted called a  meeting of pension fund directors and urged voluntary compliance in lieu of a vote. STRS and the other systems responded that they would work to develop a  divestiture policy but that the systems fiduciary responsibilities to its members must take precedence. Lengthy discussions about a voluntary policy have  taken place at STRS board meetings with final decisions still being debated.  The goal continues to be to maximize returns and not lose money. Arguments against a legislative mandate include recognition that the money belongs to  members, not to the state. Meanwhile, the bill has been sent back to the Rules Committee where it will remain unless the committee votes to bring it to the  floor for a vote by the entire House. 

ORTA and STRS will alert us if the bill is brought to the floor. If so, e-mails, letters, or phone calls to your own representative will be very important. See the Franklin County list is repeated below after the names of sponsors and cosponsors.

To email any legislators, please just click on their name.  Your email new message will automatically appear.  You can write your own personal message to that representative or senator.

HB 151 Sponsors:
Mandel
 Jones

HB 151 Co-Sponsors:
Patton
Adams
 Aslanides
 Barrett
Brinkman
Bubp
Budish
Carmichael
Collier
Combs
 DeGeeter
Dodd
Dolan
Flowers
Gibbs
Goyal
Hite
 Latta
 Mallory
 McGregor
Peterson
Schindel
Setzer
Uecker
Wagner
Wagoner
Webster
Wolpert
Zehringer 
 

Franklin County Representatives: (If you don't know your representative, go to www.legislature.state.oh.us  Enter your zip code+four or call the Board of Elections 614-462-3100.)

 Larry Flowers (R) Majority Floor Leader
  Jim McGregor (R)
Kevin Bacon (R)
 Jim Hughes (R)
 Larry Wolpert (R) Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee

  Ted Celeste (D) Education Committee
 Dan Stewart (D)
 Tracy Heard (D) Education Committee
 Joyce Beatty (D) Minority Leader

To leave a phone message with a representative, call 1-800-282-0253
Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm

The mailing address for House members is:
 77 S. High Street
Columbus OH  43215.
 

If the bill move to the senate, Franklin County senators will be one of the following:

David Goodman (R) District 3 Phone 466-8064
Steve Stivers (R) District 16 Phone 466-5981
Ray Miller (D) District 15, Minority Whip Phone 466-5131

The mailing address for senators is Statehouse, Columbus OH 43215
 

The Senate also has a divestiture bill, SB 161, which would specify procedures for public authorities, including STRS, to divest investments in companies doing business in Sudan.

Sponsor is Senator Jacobson
Co-Sponsors:
Cates
Coughlin
Goodman
Kearney
Mason
Mumper
Padgett
 

ALTERNATIVE RETIREMENT PLANS

HB 152 would require school boards to establish alternative retirement plans for teachers and school employees. At the end of September the bill was  stalled in the Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities (FIRES) Committee. The STRS board voted in June to oppose this bill because a defined  contribution plan is already offered to new members; private vendor plans would lead to negative consequences from loss of contributions; and administrative  costs for school districts would increase. These points should help if the need arises to contact your own or sponsoring legislators.

 Sponsor is Widener 

Later information may be available at www.orta.org or STRS