Battalion 5 - November 2016 - Fairfax County Professional Firefighters & Paramedics

Tom Simcoe -

Attended the October Executive Board Meeting.
Attended the October Meeting of the Uniformed Retirement System.
Attended the NCPERS Public Safety Employees Pension and Benefits Conference.
Attended the November General Membership Meeting.
Worked the Poles on November 8th in support of the Constitutional Amendment for the Line of Duty Benefits for Public Safety Employees. Also to oppose the Constitutional Amendment for Right to Work.
On Amendment #1 (Right to Work); Yes (to support) 1,736,053 = 46.45%; No (to oppose) 2,001,564 = 53.55%; The Amendment FAILED.
On Amendment #2 ( Line of Duty Benefits for Public Safety); Yes (to support) 3,015,965 = 79.71%; No ( to oppose) 767,870 = 20.29%; The Amendment Passed.
This Constitutional Amendment has one additional hurtle to overcome during the upcoming 2017 Virginia General Assembly Session. Another bill must be introduced to place this amendment into the Code of Virginia. In speaking with the author of the bill this is only a technicality that must be done to allow the jurisdictions to enact the law.
I have been dealing (along with President Niemiec) issues of members at the Apparatus Shop, and Administration.
All 3 (Three) of Local 2068’s endorsed candidates for the U.S. Congress were successful in there re-election for another 2 (Two) Year Term.
Don Beyer (D-8th District), Barbara Comstock (R-10th District), and Gerry Connolly (D-11th District).
I have been in contact with Northern Virginia members of the Virginia General Assembly in regards to legislation that will be forth coming before the 2017 session. This session (being an odd year) will only last 45 (Forty Five) days. This is considered a short session, and convene on January 11th, 2017. The session will end on February 24th, 2017, with crossover being on February 1, 2017.