Usually in the January Newsletter I am able to report on a pleasant and enjoyable RFFOW Christmas Luncheon but this year it appears that the Grinch stole the luncheon, because it was a disaster. We immediately had problems when we first arrived around 9:30 am. There was no heat in the building and the main bathrooms, men and women's, were out of order due to broken water pipes.

The 2010 Legislative Session will begin in January. This will be a short sixty-day session. With the projected budget shortfall, most of the attention will be directed to finalizing the budget. The Governor could, after the close of the regular session, call for a special session.

I don't think this is likely unless the budget has not been approved. I doubt that there will be any significant pension legislation introduced especially after so many pension bills were introduced in the last session.

Beginning in January 2010, our monthly meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month except for June, July and August when no regular meetings are scheduled. I am disappointed that I can't announce, at this time, where the meetings will be held.

Not much happening on the LEOFF 1 front.  This is one of the few RFFOW President's reports that has nothing about the pension.  We are publishing it anyway as Dick does talk about items of interest RFFOW members.

Dick Warbrouck's monthly report to the members of the RFFOW.  Much of this month's information from Dick is organization specific, but he does discuss some LEOFF 1 issues as well.

In this month's RFFOW newsletter, Dick Warbrouck, reviews the impact of HB 1506.  While this bill dealt with 41.18 (fire prior act) survisor benefits rather than LEOFF 1, it is a good illustration of the need for effective organizations that actively address the needs of their members.  Fortunately, on the police side, the benefits had been included in 41.20 (the police prior act) in earlier legislation.  Somehow those improvements were left out of 41.18.  The hard work of Dick Warbrouck and the RFFOW over several sessions of the legislature finally secured the suvivor benefit for prior act fire fighters.

This month Dick Warbrouck's message to the RFFOW membership is focus on their organization and does not have much LEOFF 1 information, but just in case your are following his articles, here it is.

I want to clarify the impact of the passage of HB 1506 in the last legislative session which will be effective on July 26, 2009.

To be clear, this bill only amends RCW 41.18, the Prior Act. The bill amended RCW 41.18 to allow all surviving spouses to remarry without forfeiting their pension.

I want to thank you for the complementary phone calls, cards and e-mails in relation to the passage of HB 1506.

The bill amends RCW 41.18 the Prior Act.

The 2009 Legislative Session is scheduled to adjourn on April 26, 2009. I am very pleased to report that two of our four primary bills have passed.