Alabama Legislative Info

Important Contact Information

Alabama Education Retirees Association (AERA): 800-537-6867

www.aerainc.org

Find your legislator: www.alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/Alison

Physical address of the Statehouse: 11 South Union Street, Montgomery, AL 36130

 Mailing address of any Legislator:

                Name

                AL Statehouse

                Montgomery, AL 36130

Phone for House: 334-242-7600

Phone for Senate: 334-242-7800

Phone for Governor: 334-242-7100

Phone for Lt. Governor: 334-242-7900

Website for the Alabama State Legislature:

https://www.alabama.gov/content/alison-alabama-legislative-information-system-online

 

 

How a Bill Becomes a Law

 

The legislative process	What you can do and when
	Before bills are introduced: ·         Research the issues and identify your legislators. o   Know your community and the issues that are important to them. o   Know your legislators, their backgrounds and their positions. o   Know the organizations that research and recommend policy changes. ·         Connect with AERA to learn about the bills they are supporting or opposing. ·         Encourage your legislators to introduce bills on issues that you care about. ·         Tell others why legislators need to act by sharing information in person, online and in the news.   NOTE:   Check the Alison database often.  It includes information about all bills and the calendar for each day. www.alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/Alison.
The bill is filed and sent to committee: ·         No bill can become an act until it has been read on three separate days in each house. ·         The first reading occurs when the bill is first introduced. ·         Reference to committee immediately follows the first reading.
The committee considers the bill: ·         The committees of each house meet and consider the bills that have been referred to them. ·         Committee members vote to approve the bill, amend it or send it to subcommittee for further discussion. ·         Bills that receive a majority vote are reported favorably, are given a second recording and are placed on the regular calendar. ·         Bills that do not receive a majority vote are typically dead.	When bills are in committee: ·         Contact committee members to ask them to support, reject or amend the bill. Recruit your friends to contact committee members as well.   ·         Attend public hearings. Testify at the hearing for or against the bill, particularly if you have a personal story.   NOTE: A public hearing request must be submitted to the committee chair BEFORE the bill is set for committee.
The bill is debated on the floor: ·         Bills are listed on the calendar in the order they are reported from committee. ·         The Rules Committee can vote to place a bill on the Special Order Calendar, to bring the bill to the top of the calendar. Otherwise, the bill must wait its turn, based on the number of bills filed. ·         When the bill is reached on the calendar, the bill gets its third reading. ·         At this time, the whole house studies, debates and amends the bill. ·         Separate votes are taken on each amendment or change to the bill.	When the bill is on the floor: ·         Contact your legislator to support, reject or amend the bill. Ask your friends to do the same. o   Go to events. Attend town halls, forums and other meetings where legislators are speaking.  Come prepared with a question. Be sure to introduce yourself. o   Go to the Statehouse. Visit your legislators during the session. Contact them in advance to let them know you are coming. o   Go to their office. Out of session, legislators have more time. Set up a meeting and bring like-minded friends. o   Write a letter. Call AERA for talking points and use your own words. Encourage others to write. o   Make a call. You may talk to a staff member or leave a message. State the issue, what you want them to do and why it matters to you. ·         Tell people why you think the bill should or should not pass by posting on social media or writing a letter to the editor in your local newspaper.
Legislators vote: ·         After the bill has been debated, each member votes. ·         The bill passes if a 51 percent majority of those present vote in favor of the bill.
Repeat the process in the other chamber.
The governor decides to sign or veto: ·         If the governor signs the bill, it is enacted into law. ·         If the governor vetoes the bill, it can be returned to the originating house for consideration. The Legislature can override a veto with a simple majority (51 percent) vote.	When the bill is on the governor’s desk: ·         Contact the governor’s office to encourage signing or vetoing the bill. ·         Identify and contact other people who may have special influences with the governor.   NOTE: If you don’t get the outcome you hope for, stay positive. Passing quality legislation takes time.

 

 

 

Five Things to Know About PEEHIP and Health Care Costs

• PEEHIP has three hospital and medical plans as well as dental and vision plans.
  • Most active education employees are with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama. Education employees also have the option of using VIVA Health.
  • Medicare-eligible retirees are covered by United Health Care.

• PEEHIP provides health care coverage to more than 300,000 people.
  • 83,223 are active education employees.
  • 68,070 are retirees.
  • 149,851 are covered dependents.
  • About 98 percent are Alabama residents.
  • The ratio of retirees to active employees is increasing to one-to-one. The number of active employees is flat, while retirees are increasing 2,000 to 2,500 a year.
    • There are fewer early retirees because of legislation that was passed in 2011 that increased deductibles and copayments for retirees who are not yet age 65.

• Total medical and pharmaceutical costs for fiscal year 2020 are predicted to be more than $1.44 billion, including members’ share. Total medical and pharmaceutical costs are expected to rise to $1.52 billion in fiscal year 2021.
  • The employee match is paid out of the Special Education Trust Fund. PEEHIP received $800 per active employee per month in funding from the Legislature for FY 2018.
    • $329 went to subsidize an active member’s coverage.
    • $223.62 went to pay for dependents’ coverage.
    • $136.46 went to retiree coverage.
  • Administrative costs are $4 million, which is .3 percent of the program.
  • Medical costs have increased by 5 percent annually since 2003. Measures taken to control costs since 2011 include:
    • Verification of dependent eligibility
    • Elimination of pharmacy scamming
    • Switch to a Medicare Advantage program for Medicare-eligible retirees
  • To help ensure quality of care and benefits, more focus is being placed on wellness initiatives.
    • Since 60 percent of the population is either diabetic or pre-diabetic, weight management is a significant emphasis.

 

1. 1. Members pay almost $400 million out of pocket in premiums, copays and deductibles.
      • Total employer funding is $947 million.
        • Universities pay $53 million
        • PEEHIP receives $4.39 million in investment income
      • PEEHIP will not increase premiums for members for the third year in a row.
      • PEEHIP is not asking for increased funding for fiscal year 2020.

• PEEHIP’s Retiree Trust Fund was established in 2007.
  • This fund has a balance of $1.436 billion, which has been funded by two transfers from PEEHIP in 2007 and 2008, for a total of $631 million.
  • $92 million was taken out in 2015 and $32 million was taken out in 2016 to address funding shortfalls.
  • The Legislature has never appropriated money to the Retiree Trust Fund and no member money has been appropriated to the trust fund.
  • PEEHIP’s unfunded liability dropped from $12 billion to $8.842 billion in 2017.

 

TRS/PEEHIP Board of Control

 

The Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) Board of Control is composed of 15 members who are elected or hold office ex officio. The members of the board are the trustees of the retirement funds and are responsible for the management and administration of the retirement system. The ex officio members serve as long as they hold that office. All other board members serve three-year terms. Board members are not compensated for their services.

 

https://www.rsa-al.gov/peehip/board-of-control//

 

Ex Officio Members:

• Dr. Eric Mackey, State Superintendent of Education 334-694-4900
• Hon. Young Boozer, State Treasurer 334-242-7500
• Mr. Bill Poole, State Finance Director 334-242-7624

 

Mr. Luke Hallmark, chair – superintendent position

Mr. John R. Whaley, vice chair – teacher position #2

Ms. Peggy Mobley – retired position #1

Ms. Anita Gibson – retired position #2

Dr. Thomas E. Jones – principal position

Dr. Susan Williams Brown – postsecondary position

Dr. William A. Walsh – higher education position #1

Ms. Kelli D. Shomaker – higher education position #2

Ms. Amanda Miller – teacher position #1

Ms. Mary Beth Tate – teacher position #3

Mrs. Susan Lockridge – support personnel position #1

Ms. Amy Knight Fowler – support personnel position # 2

 

Five Things to Know About Effective Advocacy

(Excerpted from remarks by Tom Nichols, senior legislative representative for the National Retired Teachers’ Association/AARP, at the AERA Advocacy Training session on Feb. 19, 2019.)

 

Advocacy is the process of showing decision-makers that you care. Make your megaphone as large as possible. Remember:

• • You have to show up to be counted.
  • Silence is acquiescence; make a good argument for how this decision impacts you.
  • “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

 

A study by the Congressional Management Foundation indicated that 95 percent of elected officials want to stay in touch with their constituents.

• • Send letters and emails. Make calls. Visit face-to-face.
  • The more effort that is required, the more impact the contact has:
    • A form email message is 3 percent effective
    • An individual email message is 30 percent effective
    • Direct contact (phone, text, etc.) with the legislator is 40 percent effective
    • An in-person visit about a specific issue from a constituent is 54 percent effective

NOTE: Contact with staff is as important as direct contact with legislator.

 

To be an effective advocate:

1. Know your position, your opponent’s position, how to respond to questions and the official’s voting history and past statements.

• Show that you have thought about and understand the trade-offs that are inherent in every policy decision.

1. Bring a constituent to the meeting. When an elected official knows you’re a constituent, you move to the front of the line. “I’m not speaking for me; I’m speaking for {hundreds} of your constituents.”
2. Always be polite. Remember that you both have a job to do.
3. Remember that the official will want to know:
   1. What action you want him/her to take
   2. Why action is needed
   3. What the current and potential local impacts are
4. Tell a story that demonstrates a personal connection to the policy.

 

When You Are Talking About Funding

• Always thank legislators for fully funding the pension fund and keeping it healthy.

• It’s time for a 3 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment).

• Last COLA was in 2000

• Education retirees’ expenses have continued to increase

• A COLA allows Education retirees to help keep the economy growing

• COLA will not be unfunded if it is funded from Special Education Trust Fund

• Express support for the TRS/PEEHIP Board of Control.

• The system is not in crisis

• The board is doing a good job of managing costs

• The system currently has enough funding for another 26 years even without another penny in funding

• Retiree Trust Fund – fund it!

• Look for creative ways to fund the Retiree Trust Fund account

 

Contact Information for Tuscaloosa County Legislative Delegation

Representative Cynthia Almond (head of delegation)
Affiliation:  R
District:  House District 63
County:  Tuscaloosa
District phone: 205-523-0198
Committees:

Rules
Ways and Means
Judiciary
Ethics and Campaign Finance

Representative Christopher J. England
Affiliation:  D
District:  House District 70
County:  Tuscaloosa
District phone:  205-248-5140
District email:  cengland1@hotmail.com
Committees:

Contract Review Permanent Legislative Oversight Committee
Joint Legislative Prison Committee
Judiciary
Public Safety and Homeland Security
Ethics and Campaign Finance
Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Energy Policy

Representative Artis J. McCampbell
Affiliation:  D
District:  House District 71
County:  Greene, Marengo, Sumter, Tuscaloosa
District phone:  205-652-6531
District email:  aj.mccampbell@alhouse.gov
Committees:

Tuscaloosa County Legislation
Agriculture and Forestry
Transportation Utilities and Infrastructure (ranking minority member)

Representative Kyle South
Affiliation:  R
District:  House District 16
County:  Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Tuscaloosa
District phone:  205-932-4700, ext. 101
District email:  ksouth@watvc.com
Committees:

Tuscaloosa County Legislation
Financial Services
Insurance
Jefferson County Legislation
Ways and Means General Fund (vice chair)

Representative Rodney Sullivan
Affiliation:  R
District:  House District 61
County:  Pickens, Tuscaloosa
District phone:  334-261-0403
District email:  rodney.sullivan@alhouse.gov
Committees:

Tuscaloosa County Legislation
County and Municipal Government
Fiscal Responsibility
Agriculture and Forestry

Representative Rich Wingo 
Affiliation:  R
District:  House District 62
County:  Tuscaloosa
District phone:  205-972-9652
District email:  rich@blackwaterresources.com
Committees:

Tuscaloosa County Legislation
Ethics and Campaign Finance (vice chair)
Financial Services
Ways and Means General Fund

Senator Gerald Allen
Affiliation:  R
District:  Senate District 21
County:  Pickens, Lamar, Tuscaloosa
District phone:  334-261-0861
District email:  gerald.allen@alsenate.gov
Committees:

Finance and Taxation Education
Transportation and Energy (chair)
Rules
Finance and Taxation General Fund (vice chair)
Confirmations

Senator Greg Reed
Affiliation:  R
District:  Senate District 5
County:  Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Jefferson, Walker, Winston
District phone:  334-261-0894
District email:  greg.reed@alsenate.gov
Committees:

Rules
Confirmations
Transportation and Energy
Healthcare
Local Legislation

Senator Bobby Singleton
Affiliation:  D
District:  Senate District 24
County:  Tuscaloosa, Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter
District phone:  334-261-0335
District email:  bsingle362@gmail.com
Committees:

Finance and Taxation Education
Judiciary
Agriculture Conservation and Forestry
Banking and Insurance
Tourism