Retiree benefits proposals rapped

• By SARAH CHACKO
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 13, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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A Senate panel on Monday approved two separate retirement increases despite opposition from state officials who seek a uniform fix to the differences between different kinds of state employees.

One measure would provide retirement benefit increases for adult probation and parole officers and another bill for arson investigators. Both bills now head to the Senate floor for debate.

Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, sponsored Senate Bill 315 to extend peace officer retirement benefits to arson investigators. He told the Senate Committee on Retirement that the group deserved equity with other officers in the state.

Cindy Rougeou, executive director of the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System, called LASERS, agreed that the issues with inequity among the systems should be addressed.

But Rougeou asked legislators to wait for a comprehensive plan the system is moving forward within the House that would level the contribution rates, accrual rates and retirement eligibility factors of all the law-enforcing, gun-toting state employees within LASERS.

Rougeou said the system has had to defend itself from piecemeal increases for specific groups within the system every year.

“We so want to be able to bring to you legislation that would address this once and for all,” she said.

Randal Johnson, a lobbyist for the state’s adult probation and parole officers, said the group has fought for years to get equity among its members, some of whom were benefiting from a higher accrual rate because they had agreed to work longer.

A bill similar to Senate Bill 45, which would increase the accrual rates for probation and parole officers receiving a lower accrual rate because they wanted to retire early, was vetoed by the governor after passing through the Legislature last year.

Rougeou said employees can change plans now, she said. However, if an employee wants the higher accrual rate to apply to past years of service, they have to pay the difference to the system when they change over, Rougeou said.

“Choices are made,” she said. “The financial soundness of the system is based on those choices.”

Rougeou voiced concern on how both bills would be funded.

Rougeou said SB315 does not identify a funding source for the increase.