Dates to Remember

Monday, October 9, 2017 SARTA meeting 9:30 Representative Quade

Friday, October 20 Region 10 Conference First Baptist Church West Plains 9:00-2:00

Monday, November 13 SARTA meeting 9:30 Rev Chris Ham

Monday, December 11 2017 SARTA Luncheon National Ave. Christian The Harrison Hitmakers

SARTA NEWS SPRINGFIELD AREA RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

TO SERVE, NOT TO BE SERVED

God Bless America

VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 September 2017

The Springfield Area Retired Teachers Association (SARTA) meets on the Sec-ond Monday of the month at the South Street Christian Church in the fellowship hall. Refreshments and Fellowship begin at 9:30 AM. followed by the Program at 10:00 AM. A business meeting follows the program. The June and December meetings begin at 11:30 AM.

ARE YOUR DUES CURRENT? Please keep your dues current. At $15.00 you are getting a bargain! Membership is vital to every organization, but especially for the Springfield Area Retired Teachers Association (SARTA) and the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTA). We are the only organizations working only for retirees and their benefits. MRTA dues are $35 a year and can be sent to the state office at 3030 Dupont Circle, Jefferson City, MO 65109. SARTA dues are $15 and can be sent to Jacque White at 1411 Collins Road, Ozark, MO 65721

SARTA MEETINGS

Come One, Come All SARTA Meeting at

The Discovery Center 438 E. St. Louis

Monday, September 11, 2017 9:30 a. m.

Speaker Jackie Douglas

Education Director “How the Discovery Center Supports Teachers”

Enjoy the fellowship and the Discovery Center

E-mail us at

SueGroves@msn.com

2018 MRTA Legislative Platform

SARTA NEWS Page 2

“MRTA is independent, non-partisan and does not endorse political candidates.”

Special Legislative Issues of Interest to MRTA

1. MRTA will use all available means to restore the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) which the PSRS/PEERS Board of Trustees has reduced twice in the past six years. MRTA supports the restoration of the COLA to pre-2011 levels for PSRS/Peers of MO retirees.

2. MRTA will work to protect the Missouri public pension retirement plans as defined benefit rather than defined con-tribution plans.

3. MRTA supports a Cost-of-Living Adjustment increase (COLA) for the retirees of the PSRS of the City of St. Louis. 4. MRTA will support the current independent governance and independent decisions in order to protect/maintain the

financial integrity of the Boards of Trustees of the following public education retirement systems: PSRS/PEERS Retirement System, PSRS of Kansas City, MO, and PSRS of the City of St. Louis.

5. MRTA will work to protect/maintain access to healthcare coverage for public school retirees through the school system from which they retired as is mandated by Missouri Law requiring the same premium cost and the same cov-erage as the active public school employees.

State Legislative Issues of Interest to MRTA

1. MRTA will support “equal and adequate” public school funding through full funding of the foundation formula for

all public schools as mandated by the Missouri Constitution. 2. MRTA will work to protect/maintain the Missouri state income tax exemptions for public education retirees that

MRTA was instrumental in obtaining in 2007 (HB444) 3. MRTA will oppose vouchers, education tax credits, education scholarships, or any other use of tax dollars for non-

public schools. 4. MRTA will oppose the statewide expansion of charter schools. 5. MRTA will oppose any legislation that would reduce school funding such as Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR). 6. MRTA supports the current Missouri Teacher Tenure Law. (Amendment 3, which would have changed the law was

defeated in 2014) 7. MRTA will support legislation to increase minimum salaries for teachers and the funding of those increases. 8. MRTA will oppose state mandated consolidation of public schools that meet state standards.

Federal Legislative Issues of Interest to MRTA

1. MRTA will support legislation to repeal/modify the WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) and GPO

(Governmental Pension Offset) provisions of Social Security. 2. MRTA will oppose mandatory Social Security for new educator members of PSRS of Missouri. 3. MRTA will oppose privatization of Social Security. 4. MRTA supports affordable healthcare to promote financial security for all. 5. MRTA will oppose vouchers, education tax credits, education scholarships, or any other use of tax dollars for non-

public schools. 6. MRTA will oppose the expansion of charter schools.

Legislative Day—February 13, 2018

FROM OUR PRESIDENT by Anne Gardner

SEPTEMBER 2017 SARTA NEWS PAGE 3

Legislative Chair Attends State Legislative Meeting

On Wednesday, August 30, SARTA Legislative Chair Sue Groves attended the MRTA meeting for legislative chairs of all local units in Missouri. The 2018 Legislative Platform was distrib-uted and discussed. It appears on page 2. Insights and threats were shared by Jim Kreider, MRTA Executive Director; Steve Yoakum, Executive Director, PSRS/PEERS; Mike Lodewegen, Legislative Director, MASA; Tim Green, Former Senator, MRTA Lobbyist . Some of the threats of course are expansion of charter schools, trying to change pension system, Show Me Institute, LJ Arnold Foundation, and the Pew Trust. There are already ads running from Show Me Institute against our pension sys-tem. We need to be presenting facts to protect our system from this. February 13, 2018 is the legislative blitz day. Members need to travel on their own to Jeffer-son City while others who cannot travel send emails on that day. Mark your calendars for February 13.

Region 10 members attending the state legislative meeting in Jefferson City on August 30.

SPRINGFIELD AREA RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

8076 W Farm Rd 144 Springfield, MO 65802

www.springfieldarearetiredteachers.weebly.com

SARTA "To Serve, Not to Be Served"

SARTA Meetings are on the Second Monday At the South Street Christian Church.

Refreshments and Fellowship at 9:30 AM. The Program is at 10:00 AM, followed by a Business Meeting.

SPRINGFIELD AREA RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

Membership Application *Name___________________________________ DOB _______/______/_____ *Month * Day Year Address __________________________________ City _______________ Zip ____________ Phone ____________________* Year Retired ________ *Last School _______________________________________________ *Grade level, area or position ____________________________________ *Number of years in Education ___________________________________ E-Mail address ________________________________________________ Only the * items will be shared with the membership, all other information is used for the calling com-mittee, SARTA mailings, and state reports. Dues: $15.00 a year. Send to: Jacque White, 1411Collins Rd. Ozark, MO 65721

TO FIND OUT IF YOUR DUES ARE PAID FOR THE YEAR, Call Jacque White at 581-1747. Please keep your dues current.

Please let us know if you move so we can keep our address updated. Or if you change e-mail addresses. Call Debbie Wilson, or Jacque White with new informa-tion.

CLIP out this membership application to use to pay your dues or give it to a friend and encourage them to join!

How Current are Your Dues?

"To Serve, Not to Be Served"

Elected Officers President: Anne Gardner angardoc@aol 831-3120 Vice-President Nadine Horner Secretary: Marilyn Ferguson Treasurer: Jacque White Assist. Treasurer Reta Smith Past President: Rosemary Comisky

Committee Chairs Calling: Ginny McLaren 830-6767 Chaplin: Venton Haskins 883-8294 Carolyn Haseltine 887-9309 Community Service: Carolyn Henderson 869-1189 Corresponding Secretary: Mary Hodge 732-6859 Health Care: Jan Bowling Historian: Judy Martin 719-4448 Informative & Protective Services: Helen Harber 887-3672 Insurance: Legislative: Sue Groves 732-2192 Membership: Debbie Wilson 882-9603 MRTA Liaison: Stella Sharp 799-0459 Program: Nadine Horner 546-5607 Retirement Education: Sara Shelley 881-0765 Scholarship: Patsy Summers 881-4339 Social: Carol Chappell 887-8938 Sunshine: Mary Hodge 861-8498

2018 dues ($15) are now being accepted and are due in January

Attention Please ask all retired school employees to join SARTA. Use the form at the bottom of the page. Share the newsletter with anyone you think might be interested in joining. Remember it is NOT just teach-ers! Numbers do matter with legislators to protect our pension!