(March 28, 2003) -- This morning's Press-Telegram editorial page accuses two Orange County politicians (State Senator Joe Dunn and Assemblyman Lou Correa) of trying "to further inflate the already overblown pensions of public-safety employees. Ninety percent of final salary is not a big enough pension benefit; they want to increase it to 100 percent" with Senate Bill 100.

"There is a limit," the PT fumed, adding the "pension-increase bill must be stopped."

Very impressive...except that the PT didn't tell readers that LB's own State Senator, Betty Karnette, voted for the bill just days ago in a Senate Committee.

And, according to the Senate Committee's legislative analysis, LB City Hall -- to its credit we believe -- opposes the bill.

In other words, the PT simultaneously spared a LB incumbent from criticism and failed to credit City Hall when it did the right thing.

We think LB readers have a right to know both.

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For the record, below is the legislative posting of Senator Karnette's vote, the Senate Committee's legislative analysis, and the verbatim text of SB 100.

The bill failed in Committee but reconsideration was granted...meaning the bill can come up again (often after being amended or some other deal is cut).

If and when SB 100 returns, we'll let you know what happens...including LB Senator Karnette's vote.

	VOTES - ROLL CALL
MEASURE:	SB 100
AUTHOR:	Dunn
TOPIC:	Public employees' retirement:  local safety
DATE:	03/24/2003
LOCATION:	SEN. P.E. & R.
MOTION:	Set, first hearing.  Failed passage in Committee.
        Reconsideration granted.

    	(AYES   2. NOES   2.)  (FAIL)


	AYES
	****

Soto	Karnette


	NOES
	****

Ashburn	Oller


	ABSENT, ABSTAINING, OR NOT VOTING
	*********************************





BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT     BILL NO: SB 100
Nell Soto, Chair             Hearing date: March 24, 2003
SB 100 (Dunn)     as introduced             FISCAL:   YES

 PERS:  INCREASING THE LIMITATION ON LOCAL SAFETY MEMBERS'
RETIREMENT BENEFITS FROM 90% TO 100%

           HISTORY  :

Sponsor:  Peace Officers Research Association of
California (PORAC), California State Firefighters Association (CSFA)

Prior legislation:  SB 90 (Dunn)
Chapter 796 of 2001

          
          SUMMARY  :

Would increase the retirement benefit limit for local safety
members of the State Public Employees' Retirement System from
90% to 100% of final compensation.


           BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS  :

1)   "3% at age 50" FORMULA 
          
Existing PERS law  provides that most local safety members are
covered by the "3% at age 50" formula.  Under this retirement
formula, a member with 30 years of service would receive a
retirement benefit of 90% of final compensation (3% X 30
years of credited PERS-covered service = 90% of final
compensation).

2)   EXISTING PERS LOCAL SAFETY MEMBER BENEFIT LIMITS 
 Existing PERS law  provides following maximum retirement
benefits for  PERS local safety officers  :

a)  for those who retired prior to January 1, 2000, the
limit is 75% of final compensation,

b)  for those who retired between January 1,  2000, and
January 1, 2002, the limit is 80% of final compensation,
and

c)  for those who retired after January 1, 2002, the limit
is currently 90% of final compensation.

3)   THIS BILL 

 This bill  would provide that the benefit limit for PERS local
safety members who retire after January 1, 2004, shall be
100% of final compensation.



       COMMENTS  :

1)   FISCAL EFFECT 

The cost of  this bill  is unknown at this time.

The committee is advised that, in order to earn a retirement
benefit of 100% of final compensation under the "3% at age
50" formula, a local safety member's service, combined with
any credit for unused sick leave, must amount to at least 33
1/3 years of service
(3% X 33 1/3 years of credited PERS-covered service = 100%
of final compensation).

2)   SUPPORT  :

Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs
Anaheim Police Officers Association
San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs Association
Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs' Association
State Coalition of Probation Organizations
California State Sheriffs' Association

3)   OPPOSITION  :

League of California Cities
California State Association of Counties
City of Fountain Valley
City of Riverside
City of Garden Grove
City of San Luis Obispo
City of Tustin
City of Walnut Creek
City of Claremont
City of Merced
City of San Mateo
City of Long Beach
City of Montebello
City of Sebastopol
City of Fremont
City of Paramount
City of Salinas
City of Signal Hill
City of Vista

BILL NUMBER: SB 100	INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Dunn
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Correa)

                          JANUARY 29, 2003

An act to amend Section 21390 of, and to add Section 21391 to, the
Government Code, relating to public employees' retirement.


  	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 100, as introduced, Dunn.  Public employees' retirement:  local
safety member benefits.
Under the Public Employees' Retirement Law, service retirement
benefits for local safety members who retire on or after January 1,
2002, may not exceed 90% of final compensation.

This bill would increase this benefit limitation to 100% of final
compensation for local safety members who retire on or after January
1, 2004. The bill would also make a technical change.

Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:  no.  Fiscal committee:  yes.
State-mandated local program:  no.


  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


SECTION 1.  Section 21390 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
21390.  Notwithstanding Sections 21362, 21362.2, 21363, 21363.1,
21369,  and  21370,  and 21389,  for local
safety members who retire on or after January 1, 2002, and with
respect to all local safety service rendered to a contracting agency
that is subject to any of those sections, the benefit limit shall be
90 percent of final compensation.

SEC. 2.  Section 21391 is added to the Government Code, to read:
21391.  Notwithstanding Sections 21362, 21362.2, 21363, 21363.1,
21369, 21370, and 21390, for local safety members who retire on or
after January 1, 2004, and with respect to all local safety service
rendered to a contracting agency that is subject to any of those
sections, the benefit limit shall be 100 percent of final
compensation.