Benefits of a SUAA Membership Through Voice, Action, Mission and Visibility

Title: Benefits of SUAA Membership
Source: SUAA.org
Link: http://tinyurl.com/8wrq5lu

Being served by three Lobbyists and six staff members who provide assistance to all chapter leaders, all individual members and all Grassroots Lobbying efforts;

Receives education through "Mini Briefings" and presentations;  Calls to Action through Legislative Alerts;  unlimited access to SUAA website archives, Face Book and emailing;

Leading the charge to defeat the addition of Section 5.1 to Article XIII of the State Constitution - SUAA CA 49 Ballot Initiative;

Blocking the call for a Constitutional Convention;  and, blocking the call to Merge the five State-funded Pension Systems;

Testimony before the legislature in both House and Senate hearings - College Insurance Program - Constitutional Amendment - State Health Insurance - Pensions -Constitutional Convention - Merging Pension Systems - University Employee Tuition Waivers - the Health Insurance Contracts faux pas;

Provides relative, accurate information to legislators, legislative staff, governor's staff and other policymakers and committees;

Input on legislation sponsored by legislators;  opinions provided for legislative language; wrote language for health insurance bill, protecting those who are age 65 and Medicare ineligible and also protecting the SURS retirees health insurance Irrevocable Election.  Continues to protect those with lower incomes and pensions;

Monitoring of both the House and the Senate Hearings and Sessions of the General Assembly.  At least one lobbyist is at the Capitol every day of Session.  All legislative bills are followed through a Legislative Bill Tracking Service which also provides alerts;

Representation at Pension Workshops, Central Management Services State Health Insurance Meetings, Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability Hearings and Meetings, Department of Health and Family Services; meetings with each member of the Governor's Pension Reform Committee; meetings with each Chambers' leadership both Majority and Minority.

Facilitates two coalitions -  Higher Education Legislative Coalition and the SERS/SURS Coalition;

Seat on the Illinois Retirement Security Initiative Advisory Board - Center for Tax and Budget Accountability;

Seat on the Illinois Channel Advisory Board bringing unedited, nonpartisan coverage of Illinois State Government and Public Affairs to 1,673,500 homes - including coverage of SUAA's Annual Meetings;

Voice on the Illinois Society of Association Executives Legislative Committee - on-going legislation affecting associations and reporting requirements including lobbying;

Voice on the State Universities Retirement System's Roundtable;

Non-voting member of the Illinois Education Legislative Caucus;

Representation on the State Universities Retirement System Member Advisory Committee - SURSMAC;

Statewide presentations to Civil Service local and annual Meetings; American Association of University Professors; Illinois Community College Faculty Association, University Faculty Senates, Illinois Education Legislative Caucus, SUAA Regional Meetings, SUAA Chapter Meetings, SURS Board of Trustee Meetings, campus benefit and in-service days;

Newspaper interviews regarding the State Health Insurance issue;

Supports women legislators through Conference on Women Legislators; supports the Latino Caucus Fall Event and the Black Caucus Events; supports new legislative member breakfasts, lunches, and receptions.

Continuing relationship with the State Universities Retirement System; annual Legislative Reception and Dinner with the legislative pension leadership among other opportunities;

Working with many organizations and unions to keep higher education a strong commodity for the State of Illinois.

These are the reasons to be a member of SUAA!  Be one of the many voices in Illinois! A voice in SUAA!