Reynolds won't hear teacher retirement bills
Friday, February 18th 2005, 6:14 am
By: News On 6
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Retired teachers are criticizing a decision to kill two bills that would have improved their benefits.
The retired teachers say commitee chairman Representative Mike Reynolds should have had a hearing on the bills before deciding not to hear them.
One of the bills would have give retired teachers $25 a month to help with an increased cost of health insurance.
The other bill would have provided a permanent 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment on teacher's retirement checks.
Oklahoma's retired teachers say they have seen a 14.7% increase in health insurance premiums, which hasn't been off set by an increase in retirement benefits approved the Legislature last year.
Reynolds, a Republican from Oklahoma City, says the bills were killed because the Democrats who filed them did not provide a suggested way to fund the payments.
