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TPEA's Advocacy

The Texas Public Employees Association experienced success since the beginning by securing passage of the constitutional amendment and statutes that created the Employees Retirement System (ERS) in 1947. TPEA’s advocacy on behalf of active and retired state employees is characterized by pragmatic proposals, creative problem solving and a clear, consistent vision of superior benefits and competitive salaries that allow employees to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for themselves and their families.

 

Resources - Active State Employees

Securing a Pay Raise for State Workers

Understanding Proposed State Employee Pay Raises

Remote Work Helps State Agencies Recruit & Retain

 

Resources - Retired State Employees

Standing with our Retired State Workers 

Why A 13th Check Is Needed Now

 

Testimonials

TPEA's Ann Bishop Testifies at the Texas House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations

Ann Bishop Testifies at the Senate Committee on Business Commerce

Ray Hymel Testifies at the Senate Finance Committee

 

 

How to be your own advocate


Although law prohibits agencies from attempting to influence legislation, you have a right to advocate on your own behalf - as long as it's on your own time and with your own personal resources. Watch this short video from TPEA's Executive Director, Ann Bishop, explain why self-advocacy is so important. Here are a few ways to get involved:

ADVOCACY ACTION CENTER

 

Helpful documents:


Texas Public employee advocacy
advocacy for retired public employees
retired public employees advocacy
TPEA advocacy
Advocacy for retired public employees in texas
Employee Retirement System
How Texas Laws Are Made
Texas Budget Cycle Image

How Texas Laws Are Made

 

This infographic shows the many steps a bill must go through in Texas to become law. After a bill is written (a long process in itself), it must travel through and survive several committee hearings, debates, and votes. There are many opportunities for a bill to fail, or to simply get stuck in the process without ever reaching the final ‘law’ stage. When it comes to legislation relating to state employees and retirees, some bills are successful enough to make it to law, while some fail during a committee hearing or a vote. Regardless, TPEA tracks and covers those bills at every stage, sometimes serving as subject matter experts for drafting legislation or providing testimony.

 

The Texas Budget Cycle

 

Have you ever wondered how state agency's budgets are determined, or how much money is put into/taken away from the ERS pension fund? This graphic shows the Texas budget cycle – the process in which the legislature and the governor deliberate and decide on how much money state agencies are allotted each fiscal year, and how they’re allowed to spend it. Once the legislature determines the state’s budget for the next year, the budget bill is reviewed and signed (or not) by the governor, who then distributes budgets and instructions to state agencies.

 
Texas Public employee advocacy
advocacy for retired public employees
retired public employees advocacy
TPEA advocacy
Advocacy for retired public employees in texas
Employee Retirement System
How Texas Laws Are Made
Texas Budget Cycle Image
Texas Public employee advocacy
advocacy for retired public employees
retired public employees advocacy
TPEA advocacy
Advocacy for retired public employees in texas
Employee Retirement System
How Texas Laws Are Made
Texas Budget Cycle Image

Citizen Handbook: Texas Legislature

 

The Citizen Handbook gives a broader and more detailed look at the Texas Legislature and how it works, including: how to be more effective in the advocacy process, a list of legislative committees, a glossary of common terms used in the legislature, and more!

 

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