TSEU/PAROLE '07 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
TSEU PAROLE VICTORIES

CAREER LADDER AND 60:1 CASELOAD

___ TSEU's parole officer career ladder bill was amended to the TDCJ Sunset bill (SB 909)and our 60:1 parole caseload bill (HB 3736) have both passed into law. The Sunset Bill with our career ladder amendment passed with a 2/3 majority in both houses, and goes into effect immediately. The 60:1 caseload bill will go into effect September 1, 2007.
___ The parole caucus identified four ambitious goals over the last 10 years to move toward making parole an agency that parole officers could make a career: concealed weapons authorization, 20 year retirement for parole officers, 60:1 parole caseload, and a genuine career ladder. The parole caucus has completed our vision of securing these big four goals this year by winning the 60:1 caseload and parole officer career ladder. Congratulations to all of us who helped make these goals reality!

Parole caseloads

HB 3736 by Representative Jim McReynolds (D-Lufkin) instructs the agency to create guidelines to achieve caseload maximums for parole officers to 60:1 for regular supervision officers, 35:1 for special needs offender program caseload officers, 35:1 for substance abuse officers, and 24:1 for sex offender officers. If the agency is unable to do so, they must report to the LBB how much money they will need to reach those goals.

TSEU testified in support of HB 3736. The bill was passed out of the House Corrections Committee on Aril 23rd and then passed a full House vote.

The bill was picked up by Sen. Juan Hinojosa on the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, had a hearing May 17, and was passed out of the Senate Committee. The bill passed a full Senate vote on May 23rd.

HB 3736 was sent to Governor Rick Perry to be signed into law on May 26.

Parole officer career ladder

HB 1018 by Rep. Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas) would require TDCJ to adopt a career ladder for parole officers to include an annual salary increase determined by the officer's classification and years of service. The bill had a hearing on April 11th in the House Corrections Committee.

SB 698 by Sen. John Carona (D-Dallas) was the companion bill of HB 1018 by Rep. Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas) establishing a career ladder for parole officers. TSEU testified in support of SB 698. It was unanimously passed out of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

TSEU succeeded in getting the parole officer career ladder attached as an amendment to the Sunset Bill, SB 909, which passed a full House vote on May 23rd.

SB 909 went to a Conference Committee comprised of members of the House Corrections and Senate Criminal Justice committees. The Conference Committee kept the parole officer career ladder amendment on the bill. The Conference Committee’s version of SB 909 was adopted by the Senate on May 27 and the House on May 28.

SB 909 was sent to Governor Rick Perry on May 30 to be signed into law.

LECOSRF 20-year retirement for Parole support staff

HB 1019 by Rep. Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas) would include parole support staff in the 20-year Law Enforcement and Custodial Officer Supplemental Retirement Fund. The bill was left pending after its hearing on Thursday, April 26 in the House Pensions and Investments Committee.

TSEU testified in support of HB 1019. The question of whether parole support staff or any other new group would be included in this fund was very controversial. Chairwoman Vicki Truitt held strong against including any new group. None of the bills to include new groups in the 20 year retirement fund were let out of committee, including HB 1019, and all died. Chairwoman Vicki Truitt is talking about doing an interim study on LECOSRF.

PAY RAISE AND HEALTHCARE

Between the 2005 and 2007 legislative sessions, TSEU has won $3,000 in pay raises for state workers while holding the line on healthcare--major steps forward in our campaign for fair pay and affordable healthcare. However, because of the years of little or no pay raises combined with deep cuts to our healthcare, for most of us, our paychecks still come up short at the end of the month.

We need to get organized enough to go back and get the rest of the pay raise we deserve. We need to get organized enough to eventually not just be fighting to hold the line on healthcare but start getting some of it back. To do that, we have to get much more organized than we are now.