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• Introduced by Rep. RuthAnn Jamnick (D) on April 17, 2001, to require that Department of Corrections employees transferred from “covered” positions requiring the supervision or custody of prisoners to non-covered positions due to a prison closure between August 1, 1999 and August 1, 2000 remain eligible for early retirement and supplementary benefits.
  • Referred to the House Senior Health, Security and Retirement Committee on April 17, 2001.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. John Pappageorge (R) on December 5, 2002, to replace the previous version of the bill with one which provides enhanced pension benefits to certain legislative and gubernatorial staff members who retire in December 2002. See House- and Senate-passed versions for details. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on December 5, 2002.
• Passed 90 to 0 in the House on December 5, 2002, to provide enhanced pension benefits to approximately 120 executive branch political appointees, legislative staffers, and gubernatorial employees who retire in December 2002. Employees with a combined age/government employment total of at least 70 would be eligible for retirement in December, 2002 with pension benefits boosted by approximately 16 percent. The bill would also require that Department of Corrections employees transferred from “covered” positions requiring the supervision or custody of prisoners to non-covered positions due to a prison closure between August 1, 1999 and August 1, 2000 remain eligible for early retirement and supplementary benefits. In addition, it transfers $58.2 million from the State Employee Retirement Health Advance sub account, intended to eventually pre-pay state employee pension health benefits, to the general fund, for purposes of shoring up current spending levels, given lower-than-expected revenues.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on December 13, 2002.
  • Substitute offered by Sen. Dan DeGrow (R) on December 13, 2002, to replace the previous version of the bill with one which revised the enhanced benefit formula for executive branch political appointees, legislative staffers, and gubernatorial employees. See Senate-passed version for details. The substitute passed by voice vote in the Senate on December 13, 2002.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Philip Hoffman (R) on December 13, 2002, to require a report to the legislature on the cost of the corrections-employees portion of the bill. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on December 13, 2002.
• Passed 32 to 0 in the Senate on December 13, 2002, to provide enhanced pension benefits to approximately 120 executive branch political appointees, legislative staffers, and gubernatorial employees who retire in December 2002. Employees who have worked for government at least 20 years and have a combined age and years of government employment of at least 65 would qualify for retirement with enhanced benefits. For those who have worked less than 20 years in government the combined age/service total must be 75. The bill boosts pension benefits by approximately 16 percent. The bill would also require that Department of Corrections employees transferred from “covered” positions requiring the supervision or custody of prisoners to non-covered positions due to a prison closure between August 1, 1999 and August 1, 2000 remain eligible for early retirement and supplementary benefits. In addition, it transfers $58.2 million from the State Employee Retirement Health Advance sub account, intended to eventually pre-pay state employee pension health benefits, to the general fund, for purposes of shoring up current spending levels, given lower-than-expected revenues.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on December 13, 2002.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Mark Jansen (R) on December 13, 2002, to not apply years worked in local government offices toward the more generous age/service years formula proposed by the bill for qualifying for a state pension; and to not allow employees with who have worked for the state less than 20 years to "buy time" that would allow them to qualify. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on December 13, 2002.
• Passed 94 to 1 in the House on December 13, 2002, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on December 13, 2002.
  • Moved to reconsider by Rep. Randy Richardville (R) on December 13, 2002, to reconsider the vote by which the Jansen amendment was adopted, presumably with the goal of defeating it. The amdendment restricts “pension spiking” loopholes that let certain government boost their lifetime pensions. The motion failed by voice vote in the House on December 13, 2002.
• Passed 93 to 2 in the House on December 13, 2002, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"