Montgomery, AL – A bill introduced in the Alabama Senate would create a new deferred retirement option that would be limited to teachers.
Republican legislators pushed through a bill last week to end the Deferred Retirement Option Program for educator employees and state employees because of the cost. Republican Sen. Bill Holtzclaw of Madison introduced a new bill Tuesday that would create a deferred retirement program for teachers making less than $75,000 annually.
Holtzclaw said it would get back to the original intent of the DROP program by helping retain good classroom teachers who are at least 55 and have enough years of service to retire.
Democratic Sen. Roger Bedford for Russellville said it's a way for Republicans to try to escape the political heat over repealing DROP last week.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)