BREAKING NEWS :

Defense begins in Sound Doctrine pastor Malcolm Fraser criminal trial

Bill to protect South Prairie employees gets governor's signature


April 10, 2012 · 4:41 PM

Sen. Pam Roach, R (rural Auburn), won legislative approval of her bill to protect South Prairie employees’ pension plan.

In 1998, South Prairie employees joined the Laborers' International Union of North America and negotiated participation in a LIUNA pension plan. It was not until 2011 that they discovered state law prohibited new local government pension plans after January 1, 1990.

Senate Bill 5950 changes the date after which towns are prohibited from establishing new pension plans from January 1, 1990 to January 1, 1999.

“These workers contributed to their pension plan for 13 years before anyone discovered the conflict with state law,” Roach said. “All parties involved acted in good faith. South Prairie was the only town caught in this glitch.”

Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the bill into law on March 30.

 

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.