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Letters About HB 2097
- By Jerry Taylor
- Published 04/26/2011
- Legislation
April 18, 2011
Representative Ross Hunter
Chair House Ways & Means Committee
PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504
Dear Representative Hunter,
The Retired Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers throughout the State were disappointed to learn that in the eleventh hour of this legislative session a bill, HB 2097 was introduced to merge the LEOFF 1 retirement system with the LEOFF 2 retirement system. We are respectfully requesting that you as Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee hold this bill in Committee.
You and the legislators who sponsored HB 2097 may have been told or assured that the active and retired members of the LEOFF 1 system were on board and in favor of merging the two retirement systems, but nothing could be further from the truth. We were never even asked. This is too important of an issue to be decided without full debate and full knowledge of the total impact to the stakeholders. HB 2097 is more complicated then it appears and can have far reaching implications on the LEOFF 1 members and the employers. This bill has not been properly analyzed and its total impact not realized. For example, the bill would merge the two systems putting LEOFF 1 members under the administration of the LEOFF 2 Retirement Board but fails to give the LEOFF 1 members any representation on the LEOFF 2 Board.
There are many other issues that should be addressed. LEOFF 1 is a closed system, fully funded and should not be used as a chip to offset a 15 million dollar contribution to the LEOFF 2 Fund by the State of Washington. The three organizations that represent members of the LEOFF 1 System are opposed to this bill.
When the LEOFF 2 System was created the legislature had the knowledge and the foresight to retain the LEOFF 1 System as a separate system, for perhaps reasons that have not been discussed at this juncture.
There are some legal questions that should be answered before the bill is passed. Further discussion and additional information can only reduce the possibility of future legal action that is expensive and time consuming for all. In a meeting on Friday, April 15th with the Washington State Council of Firefighters and seven representatives who represent LEOFF 1 members, it was unanimously decided that his bill before being passed should be referred for a study during the interim..
Thank you for you for you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Richard C. Warbrouck
Cc: Members of House Ways & Means Committee
Representative Ross Hunter
Chair House Ways & Means Committee
PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504
Dear Representative Hunter,
The Retired Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers throughout the State were disappointed to learn that in the eleventh hour of this legislative session a bill, HB 2097 was introduced to merge the LEOFF 1 retirement system with the LEOFF 2 retirement system. We are respectfully requesting that you as Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee hold this bill in Committee.
You and the legislators who sponsored HB 2097 may have been told or assured that the active and retired members of the LEOFF 1 system were on board and in favor of merging the two retirement systems, but nothing could be further from the truth. We were never even asked. This is too important of an issue to be decided without full debate and full knowledge of the total impact to the stakeholders. HB 2097 is more complicated then it appears and can have far reaching implications on the LEOFF 1 members and the employers. This bill has not been properly analyzed and its total impact not realized. For example, the bill would merge the two systems putting LEOFF 1 members under the administration of the LEOFF 2 Retirement Board but fails to give the LEOFF 1 members any representation on the LEOFF 2 Board.
There are many other issues that should be addressed. LEOFF 1 is a closed system, fully funded and should not be used as a chip to offset a 15 million dollar contribution to the LEOFF 2 Fund by the State of Washington. The three organizations that represent members of the LEOFF 1 System are opposed to this bill.
When the LEOFF 2 System was created the legislature had the knowledge and the foresight to retain the LEOFF 1 System as a separate system, for perhaps reasons that have not been discussed at this juncture.
There are some legal questions that should be answered before the bill is passed. Further discussion and additional information can only reduce the possibility of future legal action that is expensive and time consuming for all. In a meeting on Friday, April 15th with the Washington State Council of Firefighters and seven representatives who represent LEOFF 1 members, it was unanimously decided that his bill before being passed should be referred for a study during the interim..
Thank you for you for you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Richard C. Warbrouck
Cc: Members of House Ways & Means Committee