Legislative Day - February 12, 2019 
            2019 MRTA Legislative Platform

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 five 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 contribution  plans.

3. MRTA supports a Cost-of-Living Adjustment increase (COLA) for the retirees of the PSRS of the City of St. Louis and the PSRS of the Kansas City, MO.

4. MRTA will support the current independent governance and decisions 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 coverage as the active public school employees.

6. MRTA will support new legislation that allows the "Divorce Pop-Up" legislation (HB 304 of 2017- Pike (R) District 126) to apply to all PSRS/PEERS members regardless of when they divorced.

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 use of tax dollars for nonpublic schools.

4. MRTA will oppose the statewide expansion of charter schools.

5. MRTA supports accountability for existing charter schools equal to that of public schools.

6. MRTA will oppose any legislation that would reduce school funding such as Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) or further reductions that jeopardize public school funding.

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 (Government Pension Offset) provisions of Social
Security.

2. MRTA will oppose mandatory Social Security for new educators members of PSRS of Missouri.

3. MRTA will oppose privatization of Social Security.

4. MRTA supports accessible 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 nonpublic schools.

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

​7. MRTA supports accountability for existing charter schools equal to that of public schools.

House legislators from the area

District 130                                                 District 131

Rep. Jeff Messenger                                    Rep. Sonya Anderson

573-751-2381                                               573-751-2948

Room 410B                                                   Room 135AA

Jeffery.Messenger@house. mo.gov             Sonya.Anderson@house,mo.gov
                                                      

District 132                                                 District 133

Rep Crystal Quade                                         Rep. Curtis Trent

                                                                       

Room 105D                                                 Room 313-3

Crystal.Quade@house.mo.gov                     Curtis.Trent@house.mo.gov


District 134                                                District 135

Rep. Elijah Haahr                                       Rep. Steve Helms

573-751-2210                                              

Room 409B                                                 Room 411B

Elijah.Haahr@house.mo.gov                     Steve.Helms@house.mo.gov

District 136                                                District 137

Rep. Craig Fishel                                         Rep. John Black

                                                                     

Room 1                                                        Room 

Craig.Fishel@house.mo.gov                     John.Black@house.mo.gov


District 138                                                 District 139

Rep. Don Phillips                                       Rep. Jered Taylor

573-751-3851                                             

Room 135                                                   Room 408A

Don.Phillips@house. mo.gov                     Jered.Taylor@house.mo.gov


District 140                                                To Mail:                                 

Rep Lynn Morris                                        Name

573-751-2565                                             201 W Capitol Ave

Room 200BC                                             Room number

Lynn.Morris@house.mo.gov                      Jefferson City, MO 65101

Senators from this area

District 30                                                                   District 20

Sen. Lincoln Hough                                                    Sen. Eric Burlison
                                                             

Room                                                                             Room 

Lincoln.Hough@senate.mo.gov                                  EricBurlison@senate.mo.gov

To mail:

Name

201 W Capitol Ave.

Room number

Jefferson City, MO 65101