Rusty Black Sponsors Teacher Retention And Missouri Ag Land Ownership Legislation

Missouri 12th District State Senator Rusty Black has sponsored a couple pieces of legislation. One is an attempt to entice teachers to stay in the classroom, the other deals with foreign ownership of Missouri agricultural land.

Black is sponsoring Senate Bill 75. That legislation would modify the current law which allows a retired teacher or retired non-certified employee who is receiving a retirement benefit from the Public Education Employee Retirement System to work full-time for up to two years for a school district if there is a shortage of certified teachers or non-certified employees. Senate bill 75 would increase that period of time to 4 years.

The legislation would allow teachers to earn up to the annual earnings limit applicable to a Social Security recipient before the calendar year of attainment of full retirement age under federal legislation. Currently retired teachers may earn up to 60 percent of the minimum teacher’s salary in a district covered by the Public Employee Retirement System but will not contribute to either the retirement system no earn credited service.

Senator Black says Senate Bill 76 would return state law to the way it was in 2013. It would eliminate an allowance of 1 percent ownership of Missouri agricultural land by foreign ownership.