SAN ANTONIO — Christine Taylor retired from teaching in 2004. She gets the same retirement benefit annuity check every month. While inflation has increased dramatically since 2004, her check has not increased. It buys less every year.
"It was based on by salary in 2004 and it has never changed," Taylor said.
Now Proposition 9, which is on the ballot in November, would change that. That proposition is a result of SB 10 which was passed by the legislature earlier this year and signed by Governor Greg Abbott. The bill has a provision to increase retirement checks based on when a teacher retired. Those that retired before August 31, 2001, will get a six percent increase, teachers that retired before August 31, 2013, will get a four percent increase, and teachers that retired before August 31, 2020 will get a two percent increase.
Taylor, who is also President of the New Braunfels Retired Teachers and Associates, said the funding for the increase comes out of the Texas general revenue fund, and technically requires a constitutional amendment which is why it's on the ballot in November. Taylor said the money is already there and Texans just have to authorize it.
"Your taxes are not going to go up. The money is there. It's not going to affect your school taxes or anything like that," Taylor said.
Texas Retired Teachers Association Executive Director Tim Lee spoke about the TRTA get out the vote plan earlier this month. Lee said August would be a critical planning time and the TRTA was already putting together drives to register people to vote. Lee said they should have the votes if their members show up and bring a few people with them.
"We know there are 400,000 folks that will benefit from the cost of living increase that's part of prop 9," Lee said. "If everyone brings 10 people we will dominate this election cycle. The power of our effort is that all of you know someone that will vote with you."
Taylor said it's now getting tougher for school districts to get teachers and the retirement check increase will show that current teachers will be able to get support in the future.
"If you are currently teaching, some day you will retire. You will need the best situation possible to be able to retire and not have to have a second job. How many teachers that have already retired are back substitute teacher or bus driving?" Taylor said. "We need this to improve the overall profession and career of teaching."
Anyone who still needs to register to vote for the Nov. 7 election will need to register by Oct. 10. More information is available here.