The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) hosted its 69th Convention in Corpus Christi April 15-17 at the American Bank Center. Approximately 740 TRTA members attended the event, enjoyed fellowship with one another, heard vital news about the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) pension fund and TRS-Care health insurance program, and received training and information on various topics and from TRTA state committees and officers. Association Business Elections for the 2024-2026 TRTA State Officers were also held. The following individuals will begin serving their two-year terms on July ..read more

TRTA is pleased to announce the 2024 E.L. Galyean Award recipient Elva Garcia of TRTA District 2. This award recognizes a TRTA member for outstanding and unusual service on the state level to TRTA and its members. The award also serves as a constant reminder of the distinctive quality of committed service rendered by Mr. E. L. Galyean, TRTA’s first Executive Director (1980-1992). Elva Garcia has been a member of TRTA for 26 years and a member of her local chapter, Tri-County RTA, since 1997. According to Past TRTA State President Patricia Macias, Elva is an “exemplary role model and has many q ..read more

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has issued a statement to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees requesting that premiums for the TRS-Care Medicare Advantage program be reduced. Additionally, Patrick is asking the Board to create a one-time re-enrollment opportunity for retired educators who have left the Medicare Advantage program. “TRS’ leadership has done a great job managing the pension fund and I thank them for their efforts. Now, TRS leadership has the opportunity to make another good decision and decrease insurance premiums for Medicare-eligible participant ..read more

A congressional hearing to discuss the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) has been scheduled for today, Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Central. The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) and its national coalition partners are engaging in this hearing process by communicating with congressional leaders and will also provide written testimony. Watch the Hearing Live! Members of the public may view the hearing via live webcast available at this link. (Please note, the webcast will not be available until the hearing begins). We hope our members are a ..read more

A congressional hearing to discuss the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Central. The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) and its national coalition partners are engaging in this hearing process by communicating with congressional leaders and will also provide written testimony. Members of the public may view the hearing via live webcast available at this link. (Please note, the webcast will not be available until the hearing begins at 2:00 p.m. on April 16). As TRTA members may know, these ..read more

The Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF), the charitable partner organization of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA), expresses its sincere gratitude to our generous TRTA members for their recent donations to the Disaster Relief Fund. Since the Panhandle wildfires began, TRTF has received more than $22,000 in donations. Your overwhelming support of TRTF’s Disaster Relief program has helped TRTF assist more than a dozen active and retired school employees who have suffered complete losses due to the Panhandle wildfires. TRTF still has funds available to assist those in need! If yo ..read more

The largest wildfire in Texas history has burned more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle. A disaster declaration has been issued to 60 counties as people have lost their homes, crops, and livestock. The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) already is aware of significant losses suffered by members to their homes and property. Some of the photos shared below show the significant damage to the homes of TRTA members. Members, we are asking for your help! Will you please consider donating to the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation’s (TRTF) Disaster Relief Fund? Donate here! I ..read more

As members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) know, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5 is Primary Election Day! According to the Secretary of State’s office, more than 1.8 million votes were cast during the early voting period, for a statewide turnout of 10.14%. Bear in mind, this is out of 17.9 million registered voters. These elections will be close. Every vote will matter! Voting is an investment in TRTA’s advocacy and our future successes in the public policy process. Members, if you have not voted yet, please be sure to head to the polls tomorrow and take friends, family member ..read more

Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) members and supporters—IT’S TIME! Primary Election 2024 early voting continues this week through Friday, March 1. According to the Secretary of State’s office, statewide turnout through the first week of voting sits at 4.35%. Voter turnout in primary elections is often very low, so the impact of your vote will be amplified! The success of the Proposition 9 campaign is due to the work TRTA members did to get out the vote. Your efforts won the day! Thanks to our spectacular results on Prop 9, people are now watching to see if retired educators will show ..read more

Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) members and supporters—IT’S TIME! Primary Election 2024 is here. TRTA members have a track record of voting and voting early! The Texas Legislature has a track record of prioritizing the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) and issues impacting TRS retirees during past legislative sessions. Remember, most elections in Texas are decided during the primary election cycle. According to the Texas Tribune, only 18% of registered voters cast a ballot in the 2022 primaries. Every election and every single vote matters, and vo ..read more