Is the Merger Proposal Back?
- By Jerry Taylor
- Published 12/2/2011
Jerry Taylor
Retired Seattle Police and President of the RSPOA.
Jerry founded LEOFF1.Net in 2000 and is the editor of the site.
The Governor proposed cuts in the LEOFF 2 pension contributions in an effort to save the state about $18 million -- their share of the LEOFF 2 contributions. Overall it would withold $90 million from the LEOFF 2 pension fund over the next two years. The individual firefighters and police officers would have lower contributions and the employers would as well. This is pretty much the same proposal as HB 2068 that was proposed in the last session. That bill was killed.
WACOPS and WSCFF claim that the merger plan was put forward as a counter to HB 2068, Somehow they see a merger as the panacea that will protect their plan using LEOFF 1 money. Of course it does not make sense but that seems to be their story and they are sticking to it. Already they have proposed the merger to the Governor as an option to her supplemental budget proposal.
The LEOFF 2 cuts are in the Governor's supplemental budget so they stand a pretty good change of being passed during the special session. If that happens, then we can expect to see the merger plan trotted forward during the next session. That means another big political fight.
The Actuary is due to give his report on the merger plan on December 15th. That might be the end of it, but if he comes out in favor of the the merger we can almost guarantee WSCFF and WACOPS will try again.
The point is, now the LEOFF 2 cuts are in the Governor's supplemental budget. If the Governor's supplemental budget is passed with the LEOFF 2 contribution reduction during this November Special Session we may see another push for the merger of LEOFF 1 and LEOFF 2. This will largely depend on what is in the merger study that will be presented to the legislature on December 15, 2011 by the State Actuary.
Thus far the organizations lobbying for LEOFF 1 are finding very little support of the concept of a merger from legislators. Some have been very strong in their opposition and say the idea is dead. We hope that is true and that it remains true.
Still, this is politics and things change rapidly. So all LEOFF 1 folks should stay alert and be prepared to join in the letter writing and support of the organizations like RFFOW and RSPOA that are spending time and money in the lobbying effort.
WACOPS and WSCFF claim that the merger plan was put forward as a counter to HB 2068, Somehow they see a merger as the panacea that will protect their plan using LEOFF 1 money. Of course it does not make sense but that seems to be their story and they are sticking to it. Already they have proposed the merger to the Governor as an option to her supplemental budget proposal.
The LEOFF 2 cuts are in the Governor's supplemental budget so they stand a pretty good change of being passed during the special session. If that happens, then we can expect to see the merger plan trotted forward during the next session. That means another big political fight.
The Actuary is due to give his report on the merger plan on December 15th. That might be the end of it, but if he comes out in favor of the the merger we can almost guarantee WSCFF and WACOPS will try again.
The point is, now the LEOFF 2 cuts are in the Governor's supplemental budget. If the Governor's supplemental budget is passed with the LEOFF 2 contribution reduction during this November Special Session we may see another push for the merger of LEOFF 1 and LEOFF 2. This will largely depend on what is in the merger study that will be presented to the legislature on December 15, 2011 by the State Actuary.
Thus far the organizations lobbying for LEOFF 1 are finding very little support of the concept of a merger from legislators. Some have been very strong in their opposition and say the idea is dead. We hope that is true and that it remains true.
Still, this is politics and things change rapidly. So all LEOFF 1 folks should stay alert and be prepared to join in the letter writing and support of the organizations like RFFOW and RSPOA that are spending time and money in the lobbying effort.
