Stop the Midnight Massacre of our pension system

Greetings ORTA Members,

The redesigned ORTA newsletter for June was ready for publication when the legislators dropped the nuclear bomb on Ohio educators by creating an amendment in the budget bill that stripped the elected members of the STRS board of their power. In a continued attack on public educators DeWine and his fellow republican colleagues have taken away teachers’ democratically elected majority from the STRS board.  So, like all teachers have done when the copier broke down or an assembly was called, ORTA changed our newsletter to bring everyone up to speed on what happened and what possible response options we have.

The Facts:

In the early hours of June 25, Ohio’s conference committee finalized a massive budget amendment—without public notice—that stripped four of seven educator-elected seats (five active teachers + two retirees) from the STRS board. These seats will not be refilled as current terms expire. That leaves only three elected educators, two active and one retiree—with the rest filled by political appointees. State Republicans, citing the recent QED corruption allegations and internal chaos, rushed the change through as part of the 5,500-page budget.

🔍 High-Level Summary

• Stealth insertion into budget

  • The change was slipped into the bill during late-night amendment sessions, bypassing earlier legislative debates.

• Elected educator representation shrinks sharply

  • Once all current terms end, only three educator-elected seats remain (two active, one retiree), down from seven 

• Appointee seats increase

  • Four educator seats shift to politically appointed roles: two by the treasurer, one each by legislative leaders, the governor, and education chancellor 

❗ Why This Is Bad for Retired Teachers

1. Massive loss of representation

• Retirees go from two voting seats to one, reducing their ability to advocate for retiree-specific needs.

• Once current terms expire, there won't even be that minimal representation. No replacement = total sidelining 

2. COLA risk and financial harm

• Retired educators depend on Cost-of-Living Adjustments to fight inflation. Reduced representation = weaker push for restoring full COLAs.

• Having lost about 20% purchasing power since 2020, weaker COLA advocacy directly hurts retirees in their daily lives.

3. Benefits sidelined by technical priorities

• Appointees—many with financial or political backgrounds—do not have STRS members’ interests as priorities. Instead, they prioritize the demands of their political appointer.

• Appointed STRS board members have, with one exception, supported the corruption at STRS including lavish benefits, unearned bonuses, and opulent facilities.

4. Democratic rollback

• This move overturns the democratic voice retirees earned via elections—now decisions are made by executive appointees, not voters.

• Retiree groups like ORTA and others warn that this is not only an attack on educators, but also an attack on democracy!

5. Dangerous precedent for future cuts

• Using emergency narrative to dismantle elected oversight signals that retiree voices can be erased whenever crisis narratives are used.

• This sets a troubling standard—retiree representation can be removed on a whim, without public input.

🎯 Bottom Line: Retiree Impact

This isn't just a board reorganization, it’s a deliberate silencing of retiree voices in decisions that define their financial security. With appointments overshadowing elections, retirees could lose meaningful say in COLAs, healthcare, and benefit stability—deepening financial insecurity. Now, it's more critical than ever for retirees to mobilize, pressure legislators, litigate, and organize through ORTA and other groups to restore accountability and representation. 

What is so troubling is that 6 years ago ORTA met with the chair of the Ohio Retirement Study Council (the late Kirk Schuring) to discuss STRS member concerns. Mr. Schuring was very adamant, The problems at STRS can be solved by the STRS board. That is why the legislative body put total control of COLA in the hands of the STRS board. The members of STRS control their own board. If you want reform, elect reform minded board members.’

Guess what? STRS membership did just that. The membership of STRS, active teachers and retirees, elected 7 people that recognized changes at STRS were necessary. The process was slow and steady. The reform coalition went from 1 person to 2 people, to 5 people, finally to a majority with 6 people. Unfortunately, Governor DeWine illegally removed STRS board member Wade Steen. Mr. Steen fought in court to win his seat back, but it cost the reformers another year. After DeWine was embarrassed by a panel of judges that ruled, he had no authority to remove Steen, DeWine’s Attorney General (Dave Yost) charged 2 reform-minded STRS trustees and is attempting to get them removed. With no evidence to support Yost’s case against the reformers, the republicans have now decided to eliminate the voice of teachers on their own pension board. A voice that has been in place for decades and decades! Other examples of the political elite attempting to stop reform at STRS include:

• Failure to examine index-based investments would lead to better returns and lower costs because such an approach would cost investors the ability to collect unearned bonuses.

• Knowingly accepting a phony memo from STRS management declaring this memo to be anonymous. This memo IS THE BASIS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO CHANGE THE STRS BOARD

• Denying the STRS board members request for assistance with legal fees to defend themselves against the A.G.’s charges.  

If you read the newspapers, you might come to think that the STRS board is full of chaos created by reform-minded board members. The Dispatch and Cleveland papers provide one sided pictures of what is taking place at STRS. No doubt our free press has been purchased by the politicos that resort to sleazy tactics to get their agenda across the finish line anyway they can. What the print media and the politicians describe as chaos is what reform looks like. The recent refusal by STRS to ignore a court order to turn over investment documents will result in contempt charges against our pension. Seriously? When ordered to provide documents that would help to provide transparency, our pension prefers contempt charges? What are they hiding? Are other politicians involved in this? 

What Can ORTA Members Do?

With the budget bill on DeWine’s desk our time is very short. Here are a few actions that each STRS member can take:

• Call DeWine’s office and ask him to veto the amendment changing the STRS board. Such legislation should be a stand-alone bill and be discussed in public with testimony from supporters and opponents. DeWine’s counselor can be reached at 614-995-1800 Laurel Dawson or email Laurel.Dawson@governor.ohio.gov  Call today and over the weekend. We must let DeWine know our thoughts.

• ORTA is working to gather a coalition of stakeholder organizations in a effort to let the elected officials know that we will not stand for our voice to be silenced. More to come in the following days. 

Robin Rayfield June 27, 2025