senate select kpers minutes 2-23-2011

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Approved: __3/15/11_____________ Date MINUTES OF THE SENATE KPERS SELECT COMMITTEE The meeting was called to order by Chairman Stephen Morris at 8:00 a.m. on February 23, 2011, in Room 152-S of the Capitol. All members were present except: Senator Vicki Schmidt - excused Committee staff present: Alan Conroy , Kansas Legislative Research Department Julian Efird, Kansas Legislative Research Department Michael Steiner, Kansas Legislative Research Department Gordon Self, Office of the Revisor of Statutes Daniel Y oza, Office of the Revisor o f Statutes Linda Reed, Committee Assist ant Conferees appearing before the Committee: Glenn Deck – Executive Director of KPERS T om Krebs – Kansas Associati on of School Boards T erry Forsyth – Keeping the Kansas Promise Beccy Yocham – Deputy City Attorney Gary Geor ge - Olathe Public Schools Jane Carter – Kansas Organization of State Employees  Others attending: See attached list. The hearing was opened on SB 49--Increased employee and employer contribution rates and benefit  formula multiplier. Chairman Morris welcomed Mr. Glenn Deck – Executive Director of KPERS (Attachment 1 ), to the Committee. Mr . Deck spoke to the Committee on the three components of the bill, consisting of increased employer contributions, increased employee contributions, and increased multiplier for future service. Mr . Deck concluded that legislative action t o begin establishing a more sound foundation for KPERS' long- term finan cial healt h is needed as quickly as possi ble. By raisi ng the statutory cap on employ er contribution increases to 1.0% and increasing employee contribution by 2% over a four-year period, SB 49 provi des a meani ngful f irst s tep. Mr . Deck ur ged the Committ ee to wor k toward e nactme nt of legislation such as SB 49. Mr . Deck took questions from the Committee, regarding St ate, School and Local Group Projections. The Executive Director also presented to the Committee an analysis of additional employer contributions under SB 49. Mr . T om Kre bs, Gove rnment al Rel ati ons Spe cia lis t for the Kansas Assoc iat ion of Sch ool Boa rds (Att achment 2) spoke i n suppor t of SB 49. Mr . Krebs state d that by raising the cont ribut ory cap and incre asing the employees' contributions, the state is taking the first step in the right direct ion, which, in the long ru n, prot ects our mem bers' emp loyee s' inter ests. Mr . Krebs wen t on to say tha t it may be a difficult choice to make, but the group feels it to be the correct choice. Mr. Terry Forsyth from the Coalition for Keeping the Kansas Promise, presented testimony in opposition of SB 49. Mr . Forsyt h stated that they su pport cert ain provis ions of SB 49, though, as a whole, the Coalition opposes the legislation. (Attachment 3) Beccy Y ocham, Deputy City Attorney of Lenexa, Kansas provided written testimony in support of the bill. (Attachment 4).

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8/7/2019 Senate Select KPERS Minutes 2-23-2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/senate-select-kpers-minutes-2-23-2011 1/2

Approved: __3/15/11_____________ 

DateMINUTES OF THE SENATE KPERS SELECT COMMITTEE

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Stephen Morris at 8:00 a.m. on February 23, 2011, in Room

152-S of the Capitol.

All members were present except:Senator Vicki Schmidt - excused

Committee staff present:

Alan Conroy, Kansas Legislative Research DepartmentJulian Efird, Kansas Legislative Research Department

Michael Steiner, Kansas Legislative Research Department

Gordon Self, Office of the Revisor of StatutesDaniel Yoza, Office of the Revisor of Statutes

Linda Reed, Committee Assistant

Conferees appearing before the Committee:

Glenn Deck – Executive Director of KPERS

Tom Krebs – Kansas Association of School BoardsTerry Forsyth – Keeping the Kansas Promise

Beccy Yocham – Deputy City Attorney

Gary George - Olathe Public SchoolsJane Carter – Kansas Organization of State Employees

 

Others attending:

See attached list.

The hearing was opened on SB 49--Increased employee and employer contribution rates and benefit 

formula multiplier.

Chairman Morris welcomed Mr. Glenn Deck – Executive Director of KPERS (Attachment 1

), to the

Committee. Mr. Deck spoke to the Committee on the three components of the bill, consisting of increasedemployer contributions, increased employee contributions, and increased multiplier for future service.

Mr. Deck concluded that legislative action to begin establishing a more sound foundation for KPERS'

long-term financial health is needed as quickly as possible. By raising the statutory cap on employer contribution increases to 1.0% and increasing employee contribution by 2% over a four-year period, SB

49 provides a meaningful first step. Mr. Deck urged the Committee to work toward enactment of 

legislation such as SB 49.

Mr. Deck took questions from the Committee, regarding State, School and Local Group Projections. The

Executive Director also presented to the Committee an analysis of additional employer contributions

under SB 49.

Mr. Tom Krebs, Governmental Relations Specialist for the Kansas Association of School Boards(Attachment 2) spoke in support of SB 49. Mr. Krebs stated that by raising the contributory cap and

increasing the employees' contributions, the state is taking the first step in the right direction, which, in

the long run, protects our members' employees' interests. Mr. Krebs went on to say that it may be a

difficult choice to make, but the group feels it to be the correct choice.

Mr. Terry Forsyth from the Coalition for Keeping the Kansas Promise, presented testimony in opposition

of  SB 49. Mr. Forsyth stated that they support certain provisions of  SB 49, though, as a whole, theCoalition opposes the legislation. (Attachment 3)

Beccy Yocham, Deputy City Attorney of Lenexa, Kansas provided written testimony in support of the bill.(Attachment 4).

Gary George, Ed. D., Assistant Superintendent of Olathe Public Schools, also provided written testimony

in support of the bill. (Attachment 5)

Unless specifically noted, the individual remarks recorded herein have not been transcribed verbatim. Individual remarks as reported herein have not been submitted to the individuals

appearing before the committee for editing or corrections. Page1

8/7/2019 Senate Select KPERS Minutes 2-23-2011

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CONTINUATION SHEET

The minutes of the KPERS Select Committee at 8:00 a.m. on February 23, 2011, in Room 152-S of the

Capitol.

Written testimony was presented in opposition of the bill (Attachment 6) by Jane Carter, Executive

Director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees.

Mr. Deck provided information requested during the initial meeting requested by Senator King.

(Attachment 7). Mr. Deck spoke on the impact of lowering KPERS investment return assumption and

the relative cost of of the components of SB 49.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 a.m.

Unless specifically noted, the individual remarks recorded herein have not been transcribed verbatim. Individual remarks as reported herein have not been submitted to the

individuals appearing before the committee for editing or corrections. Page2