Legislation topics of importance

February 24, 2019
  Introduction
The State FOP Lodge has asked that we pay attention to legislative issues. Below are the two they want us looking at right now. It’s important that we know what is going on with this. Please read through the email and look at the call to action, thank you.

SB0129 – Tier II Retirement!!!
SB0129 is a bill to bring parity to our Tier II officers. It keeps the 25-year retirement but moves the pension amount from 37% to 50%. This bill is looking slightly optimistic at the moment. Please have your members consider emailing or calling their local Senator and House representatives – let them know they support Senator Harper’s bill. Because this bill just got a$8.3 million fiscal note, we need to overcome some legislators’ reluctance. Link: Bill Information

HB0269 – Retirement wait
HB0269 is a bill to reduce the current one-year waiting period to rehire as a law enforcement officer to just 60 days. It is being carried by Rep. Lee Perry. This bill does not look like it will pass at this time, but with some contacts from our members and their friends/families, that could easily change. This bill does not have a fiscal note yet – once it does, what little energy there is could dissipate quickly.
Link: Bill Information

SB109 – Asset Forfeiture
Everyone look at SB109. Put pressure on your senators and reps to kill this bill. From Clint Bobrowski who has been following this bill: SB109 is regarding asset forfeiture. I’ve briefly reviewed it. Significant concern regarding lines 509 to 522. Effectively this removes equitable sharing from federal seizures requiring all of the money to go to CCJJ. This could be crippling for strike forces our size that rely on federal asset forfeiture money. Gotta jump on this.
Link: Bill Information

Your legislator information
This tool will help you quickly locate your Senator and Representative, along with telephone and email contact information:
Link: Locate your legislator!

Call to Action!
As soon as you can Enter your address into the legislator tool above, and click right into your legislator. Send your elected representatives a message that these bills matter. Plan on attending! URGENT!! Harper’s Retirement bill SB129 being presented this Monday in the Senate Retirement Committee room 250 in the Capitol northeast side same floor as the rotunda. We need to get as many LE in uniform as possible (obtain approval to be in uniform, show up if you can either way!). It will be right after LELC so hopefully we can get everyone to come up. Please let me know if you have any questions.