Today, the PERS board voted to direct the PERS staff to amend their regulations to comply with the Attorney General opinion allowing state retirees to draw their state retirement pensions while serving in the Mississippi Legislature. PERS staff was further directed to ensure that the new regulation complies with federal tax law, does not jeopardize the health of the retirement system, and is in place prior to newly elected legislators taking office in January of 2020.
Retirees who are considering a run for the state House or Senate should file qualifying papers with their party office by 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2019. See qualifying guidelines here. Kudos to the PERS board for siding with state retirees!
We need your help on a voucher bill! Word is that there could be a move afoot to amend SB 2675 on the Senate floor to expand the program to include vouchers for all. Thursday is the deadline for a Senate floor vote. This bill extends – and possibly expands – the horribly flawed voucher program that the PEER review cited for fraud, abuse, and lack of accountability. Please ask your senator to:
Vote NO on Senate Bill 2675; OPPOSE any expansion OR extension of vouchers!
Find contact information for legislators
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
Share the same message with:
Lt. Governor Reeves Capitol: 601.359.3200
There is talk around the Capitol of Senate leadership amending the bill to blow the voucher program wide open. Let us be clear: we oppose ANY expansion OR extension of vouchers. Please help us out by also being clear about that when you call your senator. We believe we need another round of urgent calls to senators to get this point across. Many legislators who voted for the ESA voucher in 2015 have noted that they were misled about the program and that they wish they “could take back that vote.” They now have that opportunity. A vote for SB 2675 in any form is voting for this terrible program all over again.
Be sure to forward our emails, share our Facebook posts, and retweet us on Twitter. Please make those calls to senators right away – ask your friends and family to call, too. Our children are counting on us, and together, we’ve got this!
