I left the meeting a little miffed. I’d driven all the way from Hammond to BR and took annual leave no less. So, I headed north to the State Capitol. I chased the men down like an old beagle dog searching for a swamp rabbit in a briar patch. I met at length with Sen. Elbert Guillory (Chair of Senate Retirement Committee) and Rep. Kevin Pearson (Chair of House Retirement Committee), the two guys that skipped the meeting at LSU.
Friends, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD SAVING STATE RETIREMENT.
At the Capitol, I met briefly with Rep. Steve Pugh and Rep. Austin Badon, and I talked a little with Rep. Chris Broadwater, even more briefly with Sen. Mack “Bodi” White. I harangued Rep. Pearson until after the doors were locked in the building.
Please contact Guillory and Pearson, as well as others. They’re going through with the vote by Wednesday of next week (May 2nd). I spent about two and a half yours at the Capitol, and it was very profitable. Retirement matters to Louisiana. I’ve a hard-hitting op-ed coming out April 26th in the Houma Courier www.houmatoday.com/) and the Thibodaux Daily Comet (www.dailycomet.com/ ) [not online yet].
My friends, keep at it.
NEWS FLASH – THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER ED TAKES UP THE CAUSE
The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 25, 2012
"Proposed Louisiana Laws Would Change Retirement Benefits to Bail Out State Pension System" - by Audrey Williams June
http://chronicle.com/article/Proposed-Louisiana-Laws-Could/131652/
You may need a password from your college or university to read the entire article. Basically, it says DO NOT come to work in Louisiana if these bills pass.
WEBSITES TO WATCH
Louisiana Budget Project: http://www.labudget.org/lbp/
Louisiana Association of Educators - http://www.lae.org/
Louisiana Federation of Teachers - http://la.aft.org/
If you want to know more about who your representatives are and how to get involved, scroll down to previous blog posts and keep fighting.
Thank you.
Dayne Sherman
