Unfortunately, the legislature again did not provide any relief for increasing our annuities.  While our bill (HB4802) received overwhelming bipartisan support when it passed through the House, it encountered a significant obstacle in the Senate.  Despite the strong support from the House, the Lt. Governor chose not to refer our bill to committee, which prevented it from receiving consideration in the Senate.
We then pursued an alternative strategy by attempting to attach our annuity increase provision to the active judges’ pay-raise bill (SB 293).  However, we were unable to secure any agreement to include our amendment.
Adding to our disappointment, SB293, which passed on the last day of the session, contained language specifically excluding Plan 1 judicial retirees from benefiting from the increased “base” pay for judges.  We were unsuccessful in our efforts to have this exclusionary language removed.
There is one positive development to note: our members who continue to serve as visiting judges will benefit from the increase in active judges’ pay.  The daily compensation rate for visiting judge service is increased as a result of the increase in the base, and it will be the salary of a judge with 8 years of service.
While this outcome is incredibly frustrating after all our efforts, please know that our advocacy efforts continue.  We remain committed to working toward fair treatment for judicial retirees in future legislative session, and we will build upon the support we demonstrated this time.
We will keep you informed of any developments and our planning for the next legislative session.  Your continued support and engagement remain vital to our efforts.  Thank you for your ongoing dedication to this important cause.