Retirement Incentives
Two CTA measures that would help school districts balance their budgets without laying off teachers are pending in the Senate.
Both measures would provide new incentives to senior teachers to retire and allow districts and community colleges to reduce their payroll expenses without terminating employees.
The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up CTA backed AB 212 by Assembly Member Bill Maze (R-Visalia) on July 14. The Maze measure would let districts provide up to four years of service credit as a retirement incentive to senior teachers.
As originally written, AB 212 required a two-thirds vote in each committee and on the Senate floor because it has contained an "urgency clause" that would have it take effect upon enactment. Assembly Member Maze has told CTA advocates that he is willing to remove the "urgency" clause if that will help the measure move quickly through the Senate. Non-"urgency" clause bills normally take effect on January 1 of the following year.
As E-PAL went to press, the second CTA-backed bill was still on the Senate floor, with no vote yet set. AB 1207 by Assembly Member Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) would authorize K-12 and community college districts to offer senior teachers up to two years of additional service and age credit with the State Teachers' Retirement System. Like AB 212, AB 1207 contains an "urgency" provision and requires a two-thirds vote.
Under legislative rules, both proposals will have to go back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote on amendments made in the Senate before heading to the governor.
The provisions of the two bills would allow exclusive bargaining agents to negotiate with their districts about the benefit. Taking advantage of either program would place limits on retirees' options for returning to teaching.
CTA Members:
Urge your state Senator to support AB 212 and AB 1207.