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OFFICIAL MEMORANDUM STATE OF TEXAS OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR MESSAGE I am allowing the following bills related to local retirement systems to become law without my signature: House Bill No. 1318, Austin Police Retirement System; House Bill No. 2751, San Antonio Retirement Health Care Fund for Firefighters and Police Officers; House Bill No. 2752, San Antonio Firefighter and Police Retirement Fund; House Bill No. 2870, City of Fort Worth Municipal Retirement System; House Bill No. 3355, El Paso Fire and Policemen's Pension Fund; Senate Bill No. 976, City of Fort Worth Municipal Retirement System; and Senate Bill No. 1626, City of Austin Police and Firefighters Retirement. Each of these bills changes provisions of local retirement systems, which receive no administrative support or funding from the state. Codifying or approving changes to these systems at the state level is unnecessary as the municipalities have the ability to make changes under laws that have already been passed. Local retirement systems should be managed locally without state interference. Following the Seventy-Eighth Legislative Session, I allowed House Bill No. 752 and Senate Bill No. 1696 to become law without my signature and stated that, "The Texas legislature should get out of the business of approving local retirement benefits for cities and municipalities. It is time that local officials take responsibility for their own programs and make fiscally responsible decisions." I am disappointed that the practice of approving changes to local retirement systems continues and will not sign these bills. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have signed my name officially and caused the Seal of the State to be affixed hereto at Austin, this 15th day of June, 2007. RICK PERRY Governor of Texas ATTESTED BY: / A
RO ER W rLLMS Secretary of State FILED IN THE OFFICE OF Tri SECRETARY OF STATE l. P& t O'CLOCK JUN 15 2007
Reference the current page of this Legislative Document.
Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives.80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 2870, Chapter 1417,
legislative document,
2007-04/2007-06;
[Austin, Texas].
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth155127/m1/4/:
accessed May 4, 2024),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.