Retirees gather for AFSCME luncheon in Taylorville

June 4, 2025 73

TAYLORVILLE — On Monday, May 12, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Sub-Chapter #87 Retirees members and retired seniors held a combined luncheon and meeting at the Taylorville United Methodist Church.

President David Spinner opened the meeting by introducing special speaker Maria Britton-Sipe, retiree coordinator for AFSCME Illinois Retiree Chapter 31. Spinner asked her to administer the oath of office to the newly elected officers. All new officers stood up and received the oath.

President Spinner called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. with 48 members, seven attending on Zoom, and two guests.

Spinner thanked Kim Johnson for hosting the Zoom portion of the meeting. He also thanked everyone for providing a delicious potluck luncheon.

Spinner then led the group with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Next, Spinner asked for a moment of silence for Navy veteran, Ron Smith, who had passed away since the last meeting. Spinner and his wife, Becky, were honored to attend the “Veteran Tribute Celebration” for him along with his wife, Rhonda.

Spinner turned the meeting over to Britton-Sipe to give her presentation.

Britton-Sipe started with two very positive pieces of news. After 40 years, the group now has a coalition passed through Congress and signed into law in January, the Social Security Fairness Act. This eliminated the government pension offsets that unfairly spent millions of dollars of Social Security benefits on public sector employees.

Next, Britton-Sipe said the Inflation Reduction Act of 2023 includes a provision that impacts all Medicare beneficiaries this year. It states that your out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for Medicare fiduciaries are now $2,000, which was previously $8,000. She stated she is on the phone with people regularly who are scared to death because their immune system is reliant on medication. Sipe went on to discuss the many issues impacting retirees at the state and federal levels.

The next Taylorville meeting is Monday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. at the Taylorville United Methodist Church located at 200 South Walnut and East Market Street. The featured speaker is Diane Voiles, a staff member of the Christian County Health Department.

On Monday, July 9, there will be a luncheon and meeting at the Taylorville United Methodist Church. The luncheon starts at noon, and the meeting is at 1:00 p.m. with guest speaker Rep. Wayne Rosenthal.

Spinner said, looking ahead, the Monday, August 11 Aetna meeting is in Hillsboro at 1 p.m. at the Montgomery County Farm Bureau. They are required to have 25 people at this meeting, so if you haven’t signed up yet, you need to contact Spinner at (217) 324-2018 or email [email protected].

Reminder to update your information with SERS, IMRF, or SURS if you move or have information changes. This allows you to get important information for taxes, etc. AFSCME and your Sub-chapter president also need the updated material to keep you informed with relevant information. This includes changes in your email address.

The group welcomes new members or any retired senior who wants to stay informed on current state and federal issues.