SCPP Testimony Training & SCPP Meeting – October 11 & 18

SCPP is considering a permanent COLA for Plan 1 Retirees!

Thanks to your swift action, the SCPP received 185 letters of support for a permanent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Plan 1 retirees. Many of those letters came from RPEC members. Dozens of RPEC members also signed in to register their support of a permanent COLA, and 10 of us gave verbal testimony. The letter we sent to the SCPP from the Council (which was signed by eight other organizations, including the Washington State Labor Council) was highlighted during the SCPP’s Executive Committee discussion. At this juncture, the SCPP is considering sponsoring a bill for the 2023 legislative session which would accomplish two things:

• Include a date by which the state will fund a permanent COLA for Plan 1 retirees: and
• Provide a one-time 3% COLA for Plan 1 retirees in 2023 (the bill language would mirror the bill passed by the Legislature in the 2022 legislative session)

We need your help on October 18^th

On October 18^th, the SCPP will be discussing its proposed legislation for the next legislative session. We need to show up, again, in support of a permanent COLA for Plan 1 retirees! Even though the committee members have expressed interest in potentially including language about a permanent COLA in legislation for the next legislative session, there is no guarantee that this will happen. We must continue to keep this priority visible. The best way to accomplish this is by taking the following actions:

• Register TODAY to attend the SCPP meeting: Please plan to attend the virtual meeting that begins at 10 a.m. You can register now. Click here for the agenda and the log-in link that you can use today to register to attend. When you click on the embedded meeting link, you will be prompted to provide your name and email address. You will immediately receive a computer-generated confirmation email from the Office of the State Actuary (OSA) affirming your participation. If you have time, please attend the Executive Committee meeting at 12:20 p.m. Again, if you click the link embedded in the agenda, you can register now to attend the Executive Committee meeting. Click here for the Executive Committee agenda and the log-in link that you will use today to register to attend. Once you register, you will immediately receive a computer-generated email from OSA affirming your participation.
• Attend the meeting and state your PRO position on the record regarding the Plan 1 COLA agenda item: It will only take a few minutes to register a PRO position on the permanent Plan 1 COLA agenda item. Please do so by 9 a.m. on October 18^th. Registering a PRO position is important because SCPP members will receive a tally of the number of constituents who have signed in with PRO, CON, and OTHER positions. Click here to learn how to register a PRO position.
• Testify at the virtual meeting. You can register to testify up until 9 a.m. on October 18^th.  Click here for details on how to register to testify. Once you register, you will receive an email from OSA with a unique log-in link that is just for you. If you do not receive an email from OSA, reach out to their office immediately. Click here for a sample verbal testimony template. This template contains updated messaging information.
• Submit written testimony:  If you are not comfortable testifying via Zoom but want to submit a letter of support or share your story, submit your written testimony, of any length, via email or regular mail to OSA. Click here for this information. Here is a template to help you craft your written testimony. This template contains updated messaging information. If you submit written testimony, please share a copy with me at laurie.weidner@rpecwa.org.

Training Session on Giving Verbal Testimony, Tuesday, October 11, 3-5 p.m. via Zoom

We will host a training and practice session for anyone who is interested in giving verbal testimony at the October 18^th meeting. In addition to covering how to register to testify, we will provide an overview of the essential elements of an effective testimony, and will break out into smaller groups for practice time. Here is the link to join the training on October 11^th:

Topic: RPEC SCPP Testimony Training
Time: Oct 11, 2022, 3:00 PM Pacific Time

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83913605892?pwd=Yi9rZEJTelV6QWp4d3dmaWdBcHlxQT09

Meeting ID: 839 1360 5892
Passcode: 843386

Dial by your location
253-215-8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 839 1360 5892
Passcode: 843386

If you have questions, please reach out to me at laurie.weidner@rpecwa.org or Emmett Mills Emmett.mills@rpecwa.org.

Thank you for help and your tireless work to secure a permanent COLA for Plan 1 RPEC members. Let’s keep the pressure on. Please help us in any way you can to move this legislative priority forward.