Eastern Coastal Chapter Member's General Assembly

Visit on March 23, 2009

Mike Perkins, Senior Vice President, and Jason Tyndall, Board member, met up with Randy Byrd-Division Legislative Chairperson for the PBA at the General Assembly on 3-23-09. Our first stop was with Representative Dickson in reference to a bill she introduced for the PBA. (HB 697-Remove Restriction/LEO Disability Benefit) We thanked her for her hard work for on this bill. Currently in North Carolina if an officer is grievously injured in the line of duty and has to medically retire he/she wouldn't be able to draw any type of pension. This bill closes this loophole and should be of major importance to any officer entering the ranks of North Carolina. At the start of the night there were an unprecedented 25 Representatives that were on the bill. After the bill was introduced at 7 pm, 10 more representatives had signed on the bill bringing the total to 35 representatives. Truly amazing!! The bill passed it's first reading and is now sent to the Com on Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs, and if favorable, Pensions and Retirement. We then made our way around to the Representatives that were featured in our PBA Blue Review magazine and gave them their own copy. You will be getting a copy this week. Please take time to read the article of page 11 about our endorsement and screening process. We were able to speak to Rep. Rick Glazier about our due process bill that he is going to introduce on behalf of the PBA. Finally, we spoke to Representative McKissick in reference to introducing a bill that will clarify language with the separation allowance. All in all a very effective night. Again if you have never been to the General Assembly, we invite you to attend! These are the people making decisions about your career!