More than 100,000 retired public employees in Indiana will receive an additional benefit this year known as the 13th check.
But lawmakers reduced the amount of that extra benefit by about 5 percent.
The amount of the 13th check public retirees will receive is between $143 and $428, based on their years of service.
In past years — and even in HEA 1221 as it originally advanced this session — that amount was between $150 and $450.
The 5 percent reduction mirrors cuts most state agencies received in the new state budget.
But Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) said cutting that amount makes no sense because the money used to pay for it isn’t affected by state tax revenue and the budget.
“That pension money has already come in out of the paychecks of these retirees when they were working, with some match from the state or their local units,” Pierce said.
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The Retired Indiana Public Employees Association, which advocates for public retirees, applauded the bill, calling it a “big win in this economy.” But it also noted it will have to fight next session to get retirees another 13th check.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5 .
