Porter: 13th check and COLAS for retirees a no-brainer

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee passed House Bill 1004 out of committee. This bill, if passed, would provide a 13th check to TRF and PRF retirees. State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement in support of this bill:

“First off, I'd like to thank State Rep. Bob Cherry (R-Greenfield) for bringing this legislation to the table. While we may not agree on everything, supporting our retirees is a bipartisan issue. I look forward to working with Rep. Cherry and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this done for the people who have worked their entire adult lives and paid their dues to help their communities.

“Providing retirees with a 13th check, which our legislative body failed to do last year, is one of my top priorities this session. Providing retirees with a 13th check and a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is a no-brainer. It's important to note that it doesn't have to be one or the other. In 2009 – during one of the worst periods of the Great Recession – House Democrats fought successfully to provide retirees with both a 13th check and a COLA. Today, we're seeing some of the highest rates of inflation we've seen in a while, and it's my goal to get that done for our retirees this session.

“I don't need to tell Hoosiers that times are tough right now. Too many Hoosiers are struggling to manage their household costs, and retirees on a fixed income face significant challenges when faced with inflation. We have an obligation to take care of our constituents and providing eligible retirees with a 13th check and COLA is the least we can do to help our seniors.”