Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, speaks on the floor of the Arizona State Senate at the Arizona State Capitol building in Phoenix on March 13. He has revived a long battle at the Legislature this year to block League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ employees from receiving state benefits. || Gage Skidmore via Flickr
By Camryn Sanchez || Arizona Capitol Times
Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, revived a long-running fight at the Legislature this year to block employees of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns from getting state retirement benefits.
The league and a few other non-government groups were not allowed to get Arizona State Retirement System benefits until 2004, when the law was changed to accommodate another group, but Kaiser argues – as other lawmakers before him – that’s not an appropriate use of state funds.
He also insisted he’s not out for revenge although the League opposed some of his bills this session and got them killed, although the League thinks differently.
“This appears to be a punitive measure targeted at the League for simply representing the interests of their residents,” said Tom Belshe, the League’s executive director.
The issue over ASRS benefits for non-government groups didn’t begin this session, though. It spans 20 years.
In 2003, then Attorney General Terry Goddard issued an opinion stating “associations that are neither created by state law nor designated as political subdivisions” are not eligible to receive state retirement benefits.
The Legislature passed House Bill 2049 the next year, which reclassified the league and other similar groups in such a way that they would qualify to receive ASRS benefits under the umbrella of “political subdivisions.”
Ironically, it was the Maricopa Association of Governments that lobbied to get ASRS in the first place, not the league, and the sponsor of that bill, former Rep. John Huppenthal, said that he regrets the legislation.
