THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON FEBRUARY 24TH TO GIVE SSB 5791 A “DO PASS” RECOMMENDATION
THIS MEANS THAT THE BILL NOW GOES TO THE RULES COMMITTEE FOR ANOTHER VOTE. PLEASE SEND EMAILS TO EACH REPRESENTATIVE ON THE RULES COMMITTEE ASKING FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF SSB 5791.
The House Appropriations Committee today voted unanimously in favor of SSB 5791 giving it a “do pass” recommendation. This means that the Committee has recommended that their colleagues in the House also vote in favor of the bill if it makes it to the floor for a vote. This bill has bipartisan support!
On the Rules Committee at least one representative needs to “pull” SSB 5791 so it can be voted on. Our task is to convince each member on the Rules Committee to bring it up for a vote and also vote in favor of it. Your email can simply ask that they bring it up for a vote, and if you want, explain to them why this is important to you and your family.
As we have for the past several stages of the legislative process we have provided below a list of email addresses for the members on the Rules Committee. All you need to do is click on the email address and your email software will automatically put that email address in the “Too” line of your email.
HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF SS 5791
IF YOU KNOW THIS HISTORY JUST SCROLL DOWN TO THE EMAIL ADDRESSES
There are two pension bills being considered by the Legislature, SB 5652 for LEOFF II and SSB 5791 for LEOFF I. Both bills address the same subject, a defined benefit payment to members and surviving spouses out of each pension system surplus. SB 5652 provides a defined benefit for LEOFF II. SSB 5791 provides a defined benefit for LEOFF I.
Under both LEOFF 1 and LEOFF 2 the defined benefit is a minimum payment of $20,000.00 for duty related disability retirees or a payment of $100.00 for each month of service credit, whichever is greater. Service retirees are entitled to a payment of $100.00 for each month of service credit. For example — $100 per month of service credit, X 12 months, X years of service credit equals:
- Twenty years of service = $24,000.00
- Twenty-five years of service = $30,000.00
- Thirty years of service = #36,000.00
- $100.00 per month for each month of service thereafter
SSB 5791 already passed the Senate, was sent to the House, and on February 22, 2022, had a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. That Committee voted in favor of the bill on February 24, 2022 and now it goes to the Rules Committee for yet another vote. .
When and if the bill is passed in the House it will go to the Governor for signature. The sixty-day legislative session was called to order on January 10, 2022. The session will end on March 10, 2022. The cut-off date for bills to be passed including including the LEOFF 1 bill (SSB 5791) is March 4, 2022. We have a lot of work to do in a short period of time.
The email address for each House Representative on the Rules Committee is listed below. Just click on each of them individually and it will automatically insert the member’s email address in the “Too” line of your email program.
Alternatively, you can call the Legislative Hot Line at 1-800-562-6000 to leave a message indicating your support for the LEOFF 1 bill, SSB 5791.
However, the most important and pressing thing to do right now is call or email the members of the House Rules Committee and request their support.
Rules Committee Members email addresses:
Laurie Jinkins
ChairAmy Walen
Pat Sullivan
Monica Jurado Stonier
Larry Springer
Tarra Simmons
Marcus Riccelli
Tina Orwall
Lauren Davis
Steve Bergquist
Alex Ramel
Melanie Morgan
Mia Gregerson
Greg Gilday
Paul Harris
Eric Robertson
Mark Klicker
Tom Dent
Jenny Graham
Michelle Caldier
Joel Kretz
Cyndy Jacobsen
Jeremie Dufault
J.T. Wilcox
You can also email any other House Representative by going to https://app.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/House. If you don’t know the name of the House member representing your district, you can find his or her name here https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/. Again, if you know the name of the legislator, you can just write the email address as “firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov”.”
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