IRTA LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
The Illinois Retired Teachers Legislative Platform represents long term goals of the association. Items contained in the legislative platform provide IRTA Legislative Committee and Board of Directors positions on significant issues affecting the members of IRTA.
1. Funding
a. IRTA supports maintaining State of Illinois funding for the Teachers Retirement System at the amounts required by PA 90-582.
b. IRTA supports measures to improve the TRS funded position. No funding component shall result in an addition to system debt, or create disadvantageous cash flow situations.
c. IRTA supports increases in funding to pay for the increase in liability resulting from benefit improvements i.e. ad hoc increase for annuitants retiring before 1980.
2. Health Benefits
IRTA supports maintaining and improving health insurance benefits (TRIP) for its members.
3. Defined Benefit Structure
a. IRTA opposes legislation that seeks to impose changes to TRS pension provisions impacting current and/or retired educators.
b. IRTA opposes the use of defined contribution plans to cover IRTA members.
4. Post-Retirement Benefits
IRTA supports ad hoc increases to at or above the federally funded poverty level as necessary to offset the effects of inflation and to protect the purchasing power of annuitants.
5. Investments
IRTA opposes any restriction or limitations on investments that reduce TRS’ ability to achieve the best possible investment performance.
6. Social Security
IRTA supports the repeal or modification of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
7. General Provisions
a. IRTA supports Constitutional protection of members’ benefits, specifically Section 5 of Article XIII of the Illinois Constitution that states “Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.”
b. IRTA supports legislation that allows retired educators to return to work without loss of pension benefits for 120 days or 600 hours per year.
c. IRTA opposes changes in the State or Federal Internal Revenue Code that would subject active educators’ contributions to current taxation.