Page 13 - EAST BlueNote March April 2018

Update on 25 Year Retirement…

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normally receive in special separation allowance payments had the officer stayed for a full 30 year retirement.

Both bills had been recently introduced at the time of the 2017 Spring Board meeting in Lexington, NC. After
much discussion and debate, the full Board affirmatively voted to support Senate Bill 199. After a number of
conversations with the primary sponsor of SB 199, it became evident to me that it would not make it out of the
Senate Rules Committee to be heard in any committee.

House Bill 284 was heard in the House Committee on Pensions and Retirement, then the House Appropriations
Committee. It passed the House on June 29, 2017 and was sent to the Senate. It was referred to the Senate Com-
mittee on Rules and Operations of the Senate the next day and has seen no action since.

I recently talked with Representative Greg Murphy, the Primary Sponsor of House Bill 284, and he is diligently
lobbying the Senate leadership to have this bill heard in committee. Representative Murphy is a physician and
firmly believes that the toll a law enforcement career takes on the human body, and the resultant savings in health
care costs, supports early retirement. He is also a strong advocate for public safety employees, especially law
enforcement.

The Primary Sponsor of SB 199 is not running for re-election, and it is still my opinion that the current climate
in the Senate does not lend itself to this bill being heard.

Durham County Lodge 2 Activities
By Terry Mangum – Lodge 2 State Trustee

On February 2 Durham County Lodge 2 again House. This is something Lodge 2 does for every re-
sponsored the refreshments for the Durham Police cruit class. Providing information about the Frater-
Department Academy Graduation Ceremony recep- nal Order of Police and answering questions from
tion. Lodge 2 has been sponsoring these graduation the recruits during these lunches has proven to be
receptions for many years. an excellent recruitment tool for our Lodge.

Again this year, on February 18, Durham County Durham County Lodge 2’s annual Peace Officers
Lodge 2 held our annual Public Safety Emergency Memorial Service will be held on April 27 at 11:00

Personnel Appreciation Day at Rookies Sports Bar. a.m. at Greystone Baptist Church located at 2601
This event is held each year in conjunction with the Hillsborough Road in Durham.
Daytona 500.
The NC State Peace Officers Memorial Day Service
On February 21 Durham County Lodge 2 carried will be held on May 3 at 11:00 a.m. in Wilson. Loca-
the newly graduated Recruit Class of the Durham tion details will be sent to the Local Lodges at a later
Police Department Academy to lunch at the Ale date.

Wake County Lodge 41 sponsored the Cary Academy Robotics Team for the NC State
Championship held at NC A&T State University in Greensboro on February 10, 2018.

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