March 6, 2023, Pension Commission Meeting

Agenda

1. Approval of February 27, 2023, meeting minutes. - Approved


2. Public testimony on benefit improvements for teachers (for testifiers who signed up to testify at the February 27, 2023, meeting but the meeting ended before they could testify).
   • Testifiers:
     • Lonnie Duberstein, Past President/Legislative Committee Co-Chair, Retired Educators Association of Minnesota (REAM)
     • Joan Beaver, Legislative Action Chair, Education Minnesota Retired
   
   
3. Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) presentation on the Governor's budget for public pensions.
   • Thomas L. Carr, Executive Budget Officer, Minnesota Management and Budget.
   • Bryan Dahl, Financial Planning Director, Minnesota Management and Budget


4. Presentations by the pension fund directors on benefit changes and funding proposals.
   • Erin Leonard, Executive Director, Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) MSRS Presentation
   • Doug Anderson, Executive Director, Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) PERA Presentation
   • Jay Stoffel, Executive Director, Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) TRA Presentation LCPR23-029: Teachers Retirement Association (TRA board proposal) LCPR23-029 Staff summary
   • Phillip Tencick, Executive Director, St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association (SPTRFA) SPTRFA Presentation


5. Public testimony on the pension fund benefit change/funding proposals.
   Note: Testimony will be limited to four (4) testifiers on each of the retirement fund proposals (MSRS, PERA, TRA, and St. Paul Teachers), and each testifier will have two (2) minutes. All other testifiers will be asked to submit written testimony.
   • Testifier on the MSRS proposal:
     • Ethan Vogel, Legislative Director, AFSCME Council 5
   • Testifiers on the PERA proposal:
     • Ethan Vogel, Legislative Director, AFSCME Council 5
     • Brian Rice, representing the Minnesota Police Fraternal Association (Rice handouts)
   • Testifier on the TRA Proposal:
     • Louise Sundin, Minneapolis Committee of Thirteen
   • Testifiers on the SPTRFA Proposal:
     • Lori Borgeson, active member of SPTRFA
     • Eugene Waschbusch, retired member of SPTRFA
   • Submitted testimony in support of the TRA proposal:
     • Minn. Assoc. of School Administrators, Deb Henton, Executive Director
     • Paul Peterson, teacher, International Falls
     • Brian Wickenheiser, teacher, Esko
     • Mike Pothast, tech integration specialist 5-12/CSP instructor, Hermantown Community Schools
     • Jennifer Boese, kindergarten teacher, Winterquist Elementary School
     • Belinda Stutzman, teacher, Wayzata Public Schools
     • Lisa Dupuis, social studies, Esko High School
     • Julie Martzke, school psychologist, ISD #196 Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
     • Jason Savage, High School Principal, Pillager Schools ISD #116
     • Jeremy Zywicki, elementary PE/asst. football coach, Esko Public Schools
     • Teressa M. Parker, teacher
     • Kathryn Almen, 5th grade English language arts teacher, Brainerd Public Schools
     • Melissa Cousino, first grade teacher, Pillager Elementary School
     • Janet Spreiter, special education teacher, Pillager Public School
     • Bethany Ocar, CLR English teacher, Hopkins High School
     • Shania Holst, 1st grade teacher, Pillager Elementary
     • Felicia Homberger, language arts instructor, Hopkins High School
     • Jeremy L. Frank, Special Education Teacher, Pillager Elementary
   • Submitted testimony in support of either/both the TRA and Education Minnesota proposals:
     • Robert Laine, teacher, Lake of the Woods High School, Baudette
     • Cheryl B. Lancette, Esko High School Spanish teacher
     • Chad Stoskopf, Esko Public Schools activities director/teacher
     • Shane Lee, Spanish/English teacher, Wheaton Area Schools 803
     • Sue Wagner, 7th/12th grade English teacher, Crookston High School
     • Robert W. Bestul, Lincoln Elementary School Principal, ISD #701 Hibbing
     • Steve & Jill O'Toole, 6th & 4th grade teachers, Eden Prairie S.D.
     • Riley Krusmark, special education teacher, Goodhue, Minnesota
     • Julie A. Seiler, Minnesota public educator
     • Jennifer Rands, elementary teacher, Centennial School District
     • Wendy Graves, teacher, ISD #270 Hopkins
     • Kathleen Thompson, special education teacher
     • Holly Paschke, speech-language pathologist, Clover Ridge Elementary School
     • Alison Zak, peer coach, Prior Lake High School
     • Mike Carr, social studies teacher, Prior Lake High School
     • Kimberly Dahl, teacher, Esko Public Schools
     • Steve Clouse, Nashwauk-Keewatin High School teacher
     • Jeff Kocur, teacher, Hopkins Schools


6. HF2222 (Wolgamott); SF1938 (Frentz): Teachers Retirement Association and St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association (Education Minnesota proposal). - Laid over
   • H2222-S1938 Staff summary
   • Testifiers:
     • Sheila F. Fitzgerald, Retired High School Social Studies teacher
     • Deb Muntor, 5th grade teacher in ISD #16, Spring Lake Park Schools
   • Submitted testimony in support of the Education Minnesota proposal:
     • Mollie H. Olson, teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools
     • Shari Clusiau, fourth grade teacher, Keewatin Elementary
     • Lisa Ruehling, math specialist, Jordan Public Schools
     • Scott Antonutti, teacher, Esko High School
     • Shane Jordan, teacher, Brainerd School District
     • Kim Stolski, third grade teacher, Baxter Elementary, Brainerd S.D.
     • Jeff Aas, social studies teacher, Bemidji High School
     • Jon DeMars, teacher, Mounds View Public Schools
     • Diane Solberg, teacher, ISD #138 North Branch
     • Dan Foss, agriculture teacher, Champlin Park High School
     • Amy Randall, 6th grade teacher, North Branch Area Middle School
     • David Gryte, teacher, ISD #138 North Branch
     • Robert Martin, Forestview Middle School Team 6D, Baxter/Brainerd
     • Brent Bovitz, Minnesota public educator, Eden Prairie
     • Thomas Raymond, secondary English/Spanish teacher, Shorewood
     • Sara Strege, high school teacher, Prior Lake
     • Jennifer Cobb, teacher, Lake City
     • Charles Carlson, band director, Brainerd Public Schools
     • Mackenzie Madsen, teacher
     • Nick Ingles, English teacher, Prior Lake High School
     • Anne Jarzyna-Ingles, teacher
     • Katie Devaney, teacher, Burnsville, Minnesota
     • Meghan Fulton, English teacher, Prior Lake High School
     • Matthew Wagner, math teacher, Prior Lake High School
     • Layne Danielson, teacher, Brainerd Public Schools
     • Cindy Sudlow, teacher, Prior Lake
     • Maren Meade-Anderson, Lakeville
     • Robert Hapka, teacher, East Grand Forks
     • Will Baumann, community college economics/mathematics instructor
     • Hadley Mooney, 5th grade teacher, Winterquist Elementary School
     • Victoria Wright, Prior Lake
     • Katie McGraw, math teacher, Litchfield Middle School
     • Ann Reed, speech/language pathologist and TRA member

PUBLIC VIEWING INFORMATION: Meeting will be livestreamed by the House on HTV2: www.house.mn.gov/live/2

TESTIFYING: To testify or submit written testimony on an agenda item, please contact the Commission staff at lisa.diesslin@lcpr.mn.gov by 3:00 PM on Friday, March 3, identifying the specific agenda item on which you would like to testify. Testimony is limited to the items on the agenda.

MEETING DOCUMENTS: As soon as they become available, meeting documents will be posted both here and on the legislative calendars.

ACCESSIBILITY/ACCOMMODATION: To comment on digital accessibility to meeting information, please submit comments using the Minnesota Legislature Accessibility & Usability Comment Form. To request an accommodation, please visit FAQs for Disability Access or contact the Legislative Coordinating Commission at lcc@lcc.mn.gov.