| Tuesday, August 4 Updates
Good Afternoon! It’s a new fiscal year here at MRPEA. Please remember that if you have not paid your dues, we have included a link below for easy online renewal. This is also a great link to forward to your friends and co-workers who are a part of PERS! School decisions across the state affect all of us, from parents and grandparents, to teachers and coaches and counselors. We are monitoring these changes very closely and have included some of the most current information on this topic. We are also, as always, watching for any changes with PERS. Currently, we are watching as the PERS Board prepares to make a decision on Regulation 34, which establishes how a retired employee can return to work. For the full Regulation 34, click here. Below is our response to the proposed changes to this Regulation. Finally, we are so thankful for all of the frontline workers. We have added in this letter a link to Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) that outlines Temporary Emergency Policies for Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We hope that if you know a frontline worker in need of these services that you will pass it along. Thank you as always for letting us serve you! Emily Pote MRPEA Executive Director
Sign up or Renew your MRPEA Membership here!
MSDH News: Health Department Hosts One-Stop Curbside Event for Back-to-School Forms JACKSON, Miss. — In order to accommodate busy parents gearing up for the new school year, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) will host a one-stop curbside event for required school entry/registration forms.This special two-week event will allow parents to get a copy of their child’s Form 121 (shot record) if the child is up-to-date on vaccination requirements, as well as their birth certificate, at the same time and same place. Parents are asked to stay in their vehicle and call the designated number on the reserved parking sign. Please be aware that parking may be limited. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MSDH Office of Vital Records During this event, the child’s Form 121 will be available for free if the child is up-to-date on vaccination requirements. Birth certificates will be available the same day for $17; each additional certified copy is $6. Mississippi state law requires children to be immunized against childhood diseases to enter public or private school, Head Start or daycare. There are also required vaccinations for first-time school entry in Mississippi as well as a requirement for 7th grade entry. Parents must provide the school with a Certificate of Immunization Compliance (Form 121) from their immunization provider prior to school entry. The child’s birth certificate is also required for school registration. Immunizations are available at county health departments by appointment. Follow MSDH by e-mail and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect. Press Contact: MSDH Office of Communications, (601) 576-7667
Mississippi coronavirus: Gov. Tate Reeves orders statewide mask mandateMississippi Clarion Ledger
Gov. Tate Reeves announced a new executive order Tuesday that requires every Mississippian to wear a mask at public gatherings and when shopping for the next two weeks. The announcement comes as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to surge and more than 1 in 5 COVID-19 tests in Mississippi are coming back positive, a staggering rate that indicates rampant infection. Reeves said wearing a mask is irritating, but important to stop the spread of coroanvirus. “I hate it more than anybody watching today,” Reeves said at a press conference. Reeves had taken a piecemeal approach to ordering mask mandates, which he described as a “surgical” strategy meant to target the areas hardest hit by the disease. He previously issued three separate executive orders requiring mask mandates in 37 of Mississippi’s 82 counties, including some of the state’s most populous areas. According to Reeves, those mandates already covered much of Mississippi’s population. Reeves had long resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate, at one point claiming that it could actually discourage skeptical Mississippians from wearing a mask. “I know a lot of you think we can snap our finger and all of a sudden 100% of the people will comply and everything will be great,” Reeves told reporters in July. Throughout the pandemic, Reeves has downplayed the power of his executive orders, saying it’s up to every Mississippi to make responsible decision for themselves. He’s claimed they are difficult to enforce and that it is more important to get buy-in from individual Mississippians. See the Clarion-Ledger Article here. MRPEA’s Response to the proposed changes to PERS Regulation 34The Mississippi Retired Public Employees Association (MRPEA) represents the interests of more than 335,000 members, retirees and beneficiaries of the Public Employee Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS). We are pleased to offer these comments on PERS Regulation 34, Reemployment after Retirement. At its recent meeting on June 23, 2020 the PERS Board voted to revoke amendments to PERS Board Regulation 34 that became effective on December 17, 2019. As we understand it, Regulation 34 as amended removed the prohibition against PERS retirees continuing to receive a monthly retirement allowance while serving as a state legislator as long as the retiree 1) provides services for no more than half the normal working days or hours for the position, and 2) receives no more than half the salary, or the retiree works for a period of time that causes the retiree to receive no more than 25% of his or her average retirement compensation. The Board’s action to revoke Regulation 34 as amended was based on: 1. A letter from Attorney General Fitch to Ray Higgins dated May 20, 2020 suggesting revocation of PERS Board Regulation 34 as amended in part based on the Caldwell opinion issued by the Mississippi Attorney General’s office on May 19, 2020. PERS retirees represent a significant portion of the adult population in Mississippi. PERS members include not only state employees but also employees of Mississippi’s public schools, community colleges, universities, counties, cities and other political subdivisions. These individuals are committed to public service and Mississippi, understand the complexities of government and if allowed to do so, can help strengthen the Legislature by virtue of their education and diverse professional experience. If this revocation stands, it will effectively prevent most PERS retirees from serving in the Legislature. PERS retirees are not wealthy people, on average receiving annual retirement allowances of only $24,433 in Fiscal Year 2019. While impediments exist to PERS retirees serving in the Legislature, they can serve in local government positions in Mississippi for which salaries are set by statute (for example, county boards of supervisors) without penalty of losing their monthly retirement allowance. In addition, retirees from the private and nonprofit sectors can serve in the Legislature without harming their retirement allowances at full legislative salary along with federal government retirees and government retirees from other states. Why would the State want to discriminate against PERS retirees in this manner? This situation has already had a chilling effect, impacting four retirees who were recently elected by voters in their districts to represent them in the Legislature. We understand the difficult situation facing you and the PERS Board regarding this matter. One thing was made clear at the June 23, 2020 meeting of the PERS Board. This situation is fixable via a change in state statutes, and should be able to be done in a manner that passes muster with the IRS. MRPEA strongly urges the PERS Board to take any and all action necessary in support of removing the prohibition against PERS retirees receiving a monthly retirement allowance while serving as a state legislator. Rest assured you will have our full support. CHILD CARE PAYMENT PROGRAM (CCPP) Read about the program here. Apply for the program here.
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