There was breaking news tonight!  The House and Senate conferees have agreed and signed the 2010 Budget Restoration bill that has been in conference.  The most important information in SB 2495 for us is that the Highway Patrol originally had only $765,198 in the bill to help finish out the budget year which runs through June 30. Tonight, that amount now stands at $1,765,198!  Now that the conferees have done an incredible job of putting this conference report together, the bill must be passed by both the House and Senate!  It then will go to the governor.  Hats off to Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and Speaker of the House Billy McCoy and the following conferee members as their names appear on the conference report for SB 2495:  Senators Alan Nunnelee,  Doug Davis, and Terry Burton; House of Representatives Johnny Stringer, Cecil Brown, and George Flaggs, Jr. Be sure to call your House and Senate member to ask them to support the bill, and THANK THEM for their support of Mississippi Troopers.  Please click on the bill number at the end of this article to read the bill in its entirety.    SB 2495

We’re saddened to report that Brenda Wallace, our “Mama,” has passed away late this afternoon.  She had been hospitalized for knee replacement surgery, and developed an upper respiratory lung infection.  Brenda passed away from complications from the infection.  As you know, she was a long-time employee of DPS before retiring some years ago.  Since her retirement, Brenda has been working for the MSTA at the Trooper Store.  Brenda loved her retired troopers and her active troopers as if you were her own.  Her cheerful smile and her effervescent personality will be missed by all of us.  The memories we have of Brenda and all the funny stories each of us can tell will be remembered forever. We can all be thankful that we were fortunate and blessed to have shared a laugh or two with her, leaned on some strong shoulders when we needed them, and looked at the world a little better after talking with her.  Her passing reminds me of the song, “Because You Loved Me.” The lyrics are:  “For all those times you stood by me, For all the truth that you made me see, For all the joy you brought to my life… You were my strength when I was weak, You were my voice when I couldn’t speak, You saw the best there was in me, Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach, You gave me faith ‘coz you believed, I’m everything I am, Because you loved me.” FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:  Visitation will be Sunday, 21/02/10 from 4-8 p.m. and the funeral will be Monday, 22/02/10 at 2 p.m.  Both the visitation and funeral will be at Baldwin and Lee Funeral Home on Highway 80 East in Pearl.  And to our Brenda, we love you… now rest in peace.

This is an “open letter” status report on the MHSPRS retirement fund from PERS executive director, Pat Robertson.  Pat says, “members and retirees of the MHSPRS can be assured that their benefits, including annual cost-of-living adjustments to retirees, are contractually protected and guaranteed by law.”  Here are excerpts from her open letter:   “MHSPRS investments are well diversified in a strategic asset allocation mix that includes U.S. and foreign stocks, fixed income bonds, real estate, and cash. This mix helps to moderate the effect that any segment of the market may have on the performance of the total fund and can help offset some of the potential losses in the portfolio during times of negative volatility like the market cash of 1987, investment bank failures in the 1990s, the Enron and WorldCom debacles, and event today’s unprecedented financially depressed times. Maintaining a level head Read More . . .

There have been numerous phone calls this morning regarding the posting of your David R. Huggins (11 hour) and the fact that this pay has not shown up yet on the on-line site.  Relax - the money is going to be there as the legislature mandated.  Your base pay does not change.  The David R. Huggins (DRH) money is coming as a separate check, and therefore should show up later on the on-line system for your pay similar to how call backs are posted. Remember, you should be getting the DRH money back to July! One can therefore assume that you will get a separate lump-sum check for July, August, and September for the DRH money.  Then, your October check should be for that month’s DRH money. Please remember, your DRH check will be separate from your regular, monthly pay check.  If you have additional questions, please contact the Office of Administrative Operations at DPS.   Thanks for your patience and understanding, and be certain to thank your legislators for working so diligently in making sure that you are now getting compensated for the David R. Huggins Act!