The mission and overriding purpose of The Alabama Retired State Employees' Association (ARSEA) is to protect and improve the retirement resources of state, county, city, local public board retirees and their designated survivors. ARSEA was formed as an advocate for strong, stable, solvent retirement systems with adequate retirement benefits for state retirees, and developed what has become Alabama's leading organization for people retired from state and local government.
Today, ARSEA is a broad-based, centrist coalition of retirees and beneficiaries receiving benefits through the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). With more than 20,500 members statewide, and a network of affiliates involved in diverse areas of retirement, ARSEA exists to provide the information and professional assistance needed to serve its members successfully.
ARSEA serves its membership through legislation, information, representation, advocacy, education, and community services provided by a professional staff, board members, an experienced network of local leaders and organized chapter activities.
ARSEA is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, retired from public service and elected by the membership. Headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, ARSEA's staff of 9 led by Executive Director Liane Kelly works on a constantly expanding number of member services, issues, legislative programs, special events, and publications.
To achieve our mission and continue our excellent level of achievements, ARSEA priorities are:
- COLAs
Cost-of-Living raises as adequately and frequently as possible, with an emphasis on developing a more reliable and equitable manner to fund these COLAs for state-county-city-public board retirees and their beneficiaries.
By preparing legislation and hard work in the Alabama Legislature ARSEA has achieved 13 retirement benefit increases since 1980. - HEALTH INSURANCE
Continue our efforts to provide basic affordable health insurance benefits for state and local public retirees and their primary survivors.
- TAXES
Resist every effort by the Alabama Legislature or other elected officials to tax retirement resources and to protect tax exemptions for public retirees.
By defeating efforts to place up to $5,000 a year state tax on retirement benefits, Social Security check and even tax on the tax you pay the Federal Government.
- PROTECTION
Protects the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) and the State Employees Insurance Board (SEIB) with legislation to prohibit raids and borrowing of state retirement and insurance funds. Provides retiree representation with 2 elected retiree members on the Employees' Retirement System Board of Control and on the State Employees' (Health) Insurance Board (SEIB).