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Press Release
 
December 1, 2006  
 VO TO FILE BILL LINKING LEGISLATIVE PENSIONS TO TEACHER PAY
Lawmaker Says Plan Will Focus Attention On Need To Boost Educators’ Salaries

(ALIEF) - State Representative Hubert Vo today said he will file legislation linking future increases in state lawmakers’ retirement benefits to the salaries of public school teachers, saying the action will underscore the need to pay educators like the professionals they are while giving taxpayers a more representative standard by which to measure legislative pensions.

“We have to focus attention on raising teacher pay to at least the national average,” Vo said.

Retirement benefits for state lawmakers are currently tied to the salaries of district judges, who are paid $125,000 per year.  The Texas Legislature last session approved a 23 percent salary increase for district judges, thus raising their own pensions.

Vo said Texas public school teachers have never received a pay increase anywhere near 23 percent.  The average annual salary for a Texas public school teacher is $41,743, he said.

Vo’s bill would change the formula for setting lawmakers’ retirement benefits from the current years of service multiplied by two percent of the annual salary of a district judge to an amount equal to the number of years of service multiplied by six percent of the average annual salary of a Texas public school teacher.

 

“This will not significantly change current legislators’ benefits but will make sure those benefits don’t grow in the future unless teachers’ salaries grow, too,” Vo said.

State lawmakers work hard and provide a valuable public service for little pay, Vo said, but their legislative retirement benefits should be tied to a more reasonable standard.

Vo has also filed House Bill 214, which would require schools districts to have automated external defibrillators available on each campus and at all University Interscholastic League (UIL) sports events.  He said he will be releasing the rest of his legislative agenda in the weeks ahead.  The next regular session of the Texas legislature convenes in January, 2007.

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