Hickory Stick Gazette
Ogle-Lee and IRTA – Your Link To Springfield
July 2015
http://ogleleerta.weebly.com
Our next meeting is set for Tuesday, July 14th at
Hickory Grove Banquet and Conference Center,
1127 North 7th ST, Rochelle, IL. It is on the corner
of Routes 251 and 38. (A map is on page 2 of the
newsletter. The red dot is Hickory Grove.) Doors
open at 11:00 AM, with the business meeting at
noon, followed by lunch at 12:30 pm and then the
program will follow after lunch.
RESERVATIONS are required. Your contact person
will call you for your reservation. If you have not re-
ceived a call by July 3rd, please call Marvel Blomberg
at (815) 562-2884.
REMINDER: We must pay for your meal if you made
a reservation, even if you can’t attend. The cost of
the meal is $15. The menu will include BBQ pulled
pork sandwich, coleslaw, au gratin potatoes, fresh
baked cookies and tea, coffee or water.
If you reserve a meal and find that you
will not be able to attend, please call
Marvel Blomberg (815/562-2884) in or-
der to cancel your earlier reservation. It
will be too late to cancel your reserva-
tion after July 7th. If this occurs, please
send $15 to Ogle-Lee Treasurer, Linda
Kenney, P.O. Box 314, Rochelle, IL 61068.
Please do not call the restaurant to
make or cancel a reservation. If you are
planning to attend the July 14th meeting,
you will be able to pay for your meal
when you arrive.
July Program – Our Scholarship recipient, Brianna
Koenig, is unable to join us that day. She has been
hired to teach in Tucson, AZ, and that will be her
first day on the job. Carol and Warren Reckmeyer
and Mike Flick will entertain us with their musical
talents. Also present will be Chris Gluck, AMBA
Representative and Loryann Eis, our Area I Repre-
sentative.
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July 2015 – Legislative Update – Keith Erhart
On May 8, 2015, the Illinois Supreme Court unani-
mously upheld Circuit Court Judge John Belz’s Nov.
21, 2014 decision to declare PA98-0599 (SB1) un-
constitutional. IRTA’s law firm, Tabet, DiVito and
Rothstein, were the lead attorneys for the five suits
brought against the state. IRTA paid one-half of our
legal team’s $1 million fee to fight and win this at-
tack on our benefits. This cost was split with the Il-
linois Association of School Administrators (IASA)
who partnered with IRTA in this lawsuit.
www.irtaonline.org
Retired teachers had warned the legislators
and Gov. Quinn that passing any such bill would
eventually be found unconstitutional, but only after
great expense and wasting of time to find legal rem-
edies for Illinois’ financial crisis. The retired and ac-
tive workers who brought the five suits against the
State spent a combined $3 million. As taxpayers, we
also paid for the legal costs incurred by the attorney
general’s office. Millions of dollars were wasted so
the politicians could “test the constitutional waters”.
Our $500,000 in attorneys’ fees were paid out of
your contributions (Thank You!) to the Legal De-
fense Fund (LDF) which has a current balance of only
$86,000. The fund must stay solvent to continue to
protect our futures, if need be. Please consider a
contribution to the LDF by mailing a check to IRTA’s
new address: IRTA, 828 S. Second St., 4th Floor,
Springfield, IL 62704.
HB3763 Senate Amendment 1 was passed in
both the House (66-44) and Senate (34-20) along
party lines. This bill if signed into law would fund
TRS and TRIP health insurance for fiscal year 2016
(FY2016). A “Motion to Reconsider” was approved
to delay the 60-day window for a potential gover-
nor’s veto. This strategy is used to hopefully work
on a compromise in order to pass a state budget.
The democrats still hold a super-majority to over-
ride a governor’s veto.
Technically, the state’s contributions to TRS
and TRIP are both ‘continuing appropriation bills’
which allow TRS and Central Management Services
(CMS) to request the maximum amount owed ac-
cording to statute even if the money isn’t budgeted.
However, the legislature can create a law to negate
the continuing appropriation but that would identify
and require specific legislators to actively curtail
funding to our constitutionally-protected benefits.
Currently, for FY2015 (ending June 30, 2015) the
state is contributing $101 million to TRIP for retiree
health insurance and $3.4 billion to TRS for our pen-
sions. It is important that we identify the legislators
who support retired teachers and contribute to
those who support us. Please consider joining IRTA-
PAC (Political Action Committee) $1 a month dona-
tion deduct. Thank you.
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The State Convention for IRTA will be held in Spring-
field on October 26th and 27th. Jean Hoff and Jean
Whipple will be representing our Unit.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Ogle-Lee RTA Executive Board is looking for
new members. The current officers’ terms will be up
at the end of 2015. We will need a President or
Co-Presidents and a Vice President. Jean Hoff
and Jean Whipple are willing to “guide” a new Pres- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ident through the first year of their term. Please con- 2014-2015 Ogle-Lee RTA OFFICERS
tact Jean Hoff (815.732-3818) or Jean Whipple Co-Presidents Jean Hoff
(815.222-2681) if you are willing to serve. OGLE- Jean Whipple
LEE RTA NEEDS YOU TO STEP UP!
Vice-President Ferol Empen
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Secretary Elke Grennan
Treasurer Linda Kenney
New address for IRTA: Membership Richard Wood
IRTA 828 S. Second St., 4th Floor Member Benefits Phillip Bratta
Legislative Keith Erhart
Springfield, IL 62704 Contact Coordinator Marvel Blomberg
Phone: (217) 523-8488 or Historian Loretta Bell
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(800) 728-4782
FUTURE GENERAL MEETINGS:
Fax: (217) 523-8493 October 13 – LOMC, Oregon
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Program – Deb Cheek and Bill Hare

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS:

There will be a basket at the July 14th meeting for September 8 –Byron Library
your contributions to the Legal Defense Fund. You November 10 –Byron Library
may write a check or have cash. Please make your
check payable to IRTA and write “Legal Defense
Fund” on the check memo line.

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We are very happy to welcome the following new
members to the Ogle-Lee RTA:
Marijo Boyle
Kristine Gustafson

IRTA and Ogle-Lee your link to Springfield

Dick Wood
P. O. Box 156
Leaf River, IL 61047