Dial 1-303-625-6546 to be connected to your state senator. Dial 1-303-622-3968 for your state representative. Both our senators and representatives need to hear from us!
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening to give you an idea of what to say:
Tell your legislators to support HB22-1029 to ensure the state contributes its share to PERA.
- Colorado has seen a robust economic recovery and now with a budget surplus of over $1 BILLION, now is the time to pay back what was lost to PERA to ensure a stable and sustainable retirement system for current and future retirees.
- HB22-1029 (Compensatory Direct Distribution To Public Employees’ Retirement Association) would recommit the state’s missed payment from 2020 of $225 million into the PERA system. This missed payment resulted in a $993 million loss to PERA.
- Because of the pandemic and its effects on our economy, educators will pay an auto adjustment this year. Colorado has chosen to place this additional burden on the individual payers into the PERA system, which includes all of us as educators.
- As educators, we need relief and support from Colorado’s elected leaders to feel valued and respected and to be able to stay in our professions. Taking away our chances at a dignified and secure retirement is the last thing we deserve.
Tell your legislators to pass a CLEAN School Finance Act (HB22-1390) that does not contain any harmful additions that disrespect educators and the authority of our locally elected school boards.
- The School Finance Act (HB22-1390) sets the funding and policy mandates for public education in Colorado.
- The School Finance Act is not a place where legislators should be adding last minute amendments that have not gone through the full legislative process and haven’t had the opportunity for stakeholder or community input. Our elected officials should be honoring the democratic process of how a bill becomes a law instead of pursuing last minute changes to put things into state law that could harm students, educators and communities.
- Certain legislators are trying to use the School Finance Act to include additional language that expands the role of our state government at the expense of local control and what our communities want. The state shouldn’t be involved in local school district matters, and districts themselves are in a better place to understand what their own students need. Legislators should not be using the School Finance Act to do things like expanding the authority of the State Board of Education in matters such as the renewal or revocation of innovation zones.
- Our legislators should not be using the School Finance Act to carry out their own agendas. Now more than ever, educators need more support, resources, and respect — not less.