Millions of Californians soon will have an easy way to save for a more comfortable and dignified retirement now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 1234, landmark legislation creating the California Secure Choice Retirement Plan.

The recent back-and-forth debate over pensions for public employees always lands on important issues like employer contributions and discount rates. Lost in the discord, though, is what’s ultimately at stake: the financial future of millions of Americans. So let's get to the point and not fall into the tired trap of looking back: It's time to put SB 400, the 1999 California legislation that changed benefits for public workers, behind us. 

A bill that would have authorized the California Public Employees’ Retirement System to adjust the current $2,000 post-retirement death benefit for state and school retirees was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 26.
 

Music was his life, so it is fitting that the celebration of life for Gus C. Lease will be in the Music Building Concert Hall at San Jose State University at 1 p.m. Oct. 1. A reception will follow on the lawn between the Music Building and the SJSU Event Center.

Health Plan Open Enrollment for CalPERS members is Sept. 12- Oct. 7. Most members who are satisfied with their current plan need do nothing to remain in the same plan. The exception is Blue Cross Net Value members. That plan is being discontinued.
If members on that plan do nothing, they will automatically be transitioned to Blue Shield Access Plus, starting Jan. 1, 2017. Or they may choose another health plan during this Open Enrollment period.

Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, calls on lawmakers to approve his measure to end surprise medical bills from out-of-network doctors, on the final day of the legislative session. 

Longtime CSR and CSEA activist Gus C. Lease, also known by many as “The Voice of CSEA,” passed away Sept. 4 at the age of 93.

Sacramento, CA – The CalPERS health plan Open Enrollment period begins soon – September 12 through October 7 – but Open Enrollment materials are now  available online to our members to help them select the best plan for their families.

Barbara LaPlante, the first female president of California State Retirees, Inc., passed away Aug. 14. She was 89.

LaPlante also had the distinction of holding the position of president – formerly known as director – for more than 10 years, longer than any previous member of California State Retirees, Inc., which is now known as California State Retirees. She also held many other positions in the organization, including regional director.

Sacramento, Calif. – California State Retirees (CSR) believes CalPERS erred in calculating the 2017 100/90 State Annuitant employer contribution amount. 

Government Code section 22871 requires using the current year's top four health care plans to establish the next year's state contribution amount. 

Sacramento, Calif. – Rob Feckner, president of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) board of administration, penned an op-ed in today’s issue of The Sacramento Bee highlighting the importance of their long-term investment vision.

The op-ed comes after adverse news coverage of CalPERS’ decision to implement a new risk-reduction strategy. The plan, passed by a 4-3 vote, lowers the discount rate during strong years of investment returns. According to Feckner, this conservative approach will lower risk and volatility in the system. The goal is to ultimately reduce the rate from 7.5 percent to 6.5 percent over a 20-year period.

Sacramento, Calif. - Be on the look out! CalPERS is beginning to send mailers this month explaining to members how to make changes to their health plans online. Open Enrollment information will be available online on Aug. 22, but members may only make changes, additions, and deletions via their my|CalPERS account at my.calpers.ca.gov during Open Enrollment from Sept. 12 to Oct. 7.

Sacramento, Calif. – The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Administration announced Marcie Frost as the Pension Fund’s new chief executive officer (CEO). Frost, 51, will replace former CalPERS CEO Anne Stausboll.

As CEO, Frost will oversee 2,870 employees and a budget of more than $1.7 billion. Several programs under Frost’s scope include healthcare delivery, retirement benefits, investments, finance and risk management, supplemental retirement programs, legislative affairs, actuarial services, stakeholder relations, and numerous support functions.

Sacramento, Calif. - After an extensive recruitment effort, California State Retirees (CSR) hired two new staff members: Dani Schenone and Jamee Villa.

Sacramento, Calif. - CalPERS recently announced Douglas Hoffner as the interim Chief Executive Officer. Check out the CalPERS article below for more information on Hoffner.

"Douglas Hoffner was named Interim Chief Executive Officer in July 2016.

He previously served as Deputy Executive Officer for Operations in Technology where he provided executive leadership over key enterprise functions including business and strategic planning, information technology, human resources, diversity and inclusion, and operational and facilities management.

Sacramento, Calif. - The California State Retirees Board of Administration voted to endorse the following candidates in the June 7 primary election:

Legislative Incumbents
The vast majority of the Democratic incumbents recommended for endorsement are legislators who CSR has endorsed in the past and/or supported financially. Republican candidates recommended for endorsement have supported state employee Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) bills to augment state employee pay and benefits, and the state budget which includes funding for retiree healthcare and CalPERS. They also refrained from demagogic attacks on public employee pensions. Most are running for reelection unopposed and/or without serious opposition in districts that strongly favor them. For these reasons, both recommended Democrats and Republicans are certain, or nearly certain, of advancing in June and winning in November 2016.

Open-Seat Candidates
The open-seat candidates recommended here have completed CSR’s questionnaire (positively) and are strongly positioned to win in November.

Ted Toppin, CSR legislative advocate

Sacramento, Calif. - June, of course, brings California’s statewide primary election. Voters will nominate candidates for President, U.S. Senate and 53 congressional seats. We will decide on one proposition of little consequence, pick the two candidates who will compete for 20 state Senate and 80 state Assembly seats in November, and make countless other decisions in our local communities.

There’s really nothing left to add about the presidential campaign. It’s ugly, and it is going to get uglier. The U.S. Senate race – which features 34 candidates – is of interest mainly because we are replacing the woman who has held the job for 24 years – Barbara Boxer.

May 31, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) today issued the following statements on the sentencing of its former Chief Executive Officer, Fred Buenrostro, in federal court in San Francisco on bribery charges. Mr. Buenrostro served as CEO of CalPERS from 2002 to 2008.

Rob Feckner, CalPERS Board of Administration President: “This saga has now come to an end. We are stewards of a sacred trust, and it must never be compromised for personal gain. As an organization, we’ve taken meaningful steps to strengthen accountability and transparency throughout CalPERS. We’ll continue to work to make sure these measures are rigorously followed and that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.”

In this 2013, photo provided by Center for Individual Rights, Rebecca Friedrichs, a veteran Orange County, Calif., public school teacher, poses for a portrait. A tie vote from the Supreme Court means public sector unions in about half the states can continue collecting fees from workers who choose not to join. The justices on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, divided 4-4 in a case that considered whether public employees represented by a union can be required to pay "fair share" fees covering collective bargaining costs even if they are not members. 

Courtesy of the Center for Individual Rights via AP Greg Schneider.

Sacramento, Calif. - By the end of the decade, millions of California workers could be enrolled automatically in a state-run retirement program viewed by proponents as the most significant attempt to address golden-years poverty since the New Deal.

After more than two years of work, the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board will vote Monday on a slate of recommendations to the Legislature on what a state-managed plan should look like. Those will be folded into pending legislation by Senate leader Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, with the goal of putting a bill on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk this summer.