CalPERS will hold a public meeting May 13 to look at how its investments are allocated in view of the current market conditions. CalPERS' assets have shrunk from $239 billionto $175.1 billion, according to a Sacramento Bee report.

Many CalPERS retirees and beneficiaries saw slightly bigger benefits payments beginning with their April 1 payment. This is the result of new income tax withholding rates issued by the Internal Revenue Service, which may have ramifications when filing next year's income tax returns. For information, click on the headline above.

State Worker columnist Jon Ortiz reports in his Sacramento Bee blog today that Sacramento Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette has affirmed his tentative ruling that Gov. Schwarzenegger's furlough order applies to employees of constitutional offices. The blog contains links to the order and a listing of how many employees are not SEIU members and, therefore, not subject to the reduced furlough when the SEIU contract is final.

More members than ever attended our "March on the Capitol" on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. We visited more than 80 legislators, who demonstrated a strong understanding of and concern for our issues. Now that Lobby Day was so successful, members need to continue their outreach by visiting their representatives in their district offices. Nearly all legislators work in their home offices on Friday. By scheduling an appointment at your legislator's local office, you can make sure you will speak face to face with him or her.

CalPERS, the nations' largest public pension fund, will begin a yearlong pilot project to electronically order prescriptions. The agency says e-prescribing "improves patient safety by ensuring that patients receive the right prescriptions and reduces cost." The physician would order the prescription on an automated data entry system that would transmit it to the pharmacy. For a Sacramento Bee story, click here.

ACSS is the sponsor of two bills being considered in the Legislature this year. AB 1161, State Employee Adverse Actions: Change Statute of Limitations From Three Years to One Year for Excluded Employees, was authored by Joan Buchanan of Contra Costa and Alameda. The bill would change the notice requirement for adverse actions against managerial, supervisory and confidential state employees from three years to one year from the date of the misconduct. AB843, State Employee Adverse Actions: Change the "Burden of Proof" in Adverse Actions for Managerial Employees, would place the burden of proof in an adverse action on the employer, not the managerial employee. The author is Marty Block of San Diego. 

Note: The Jan. 13 State Worker column in The Sacramento Bee has noted our call to impeachment.

At its quarterly meeting Jan. 11, the ACSS board of directors voted unanimously to call for the impeachment of Gov. Schwarzenegger. “His inability to pass a budget is placing California in financial jeopardy, and his order to cut state workers’ pay by 10 percent, to place the burden of balancing the budget on our backs, is an act of malfeasance,” said President Olin King. Read the press release ACSS sent here.

Only the Legislature can impeach the governor. ACSS urges you to contact your legislators, by mail, email or telephone, to demand they begin impeachment proceedings. You can use our Legislative Action Center to write an email that will automatically be sent to your representatives. You’ll find a letter already written (which you can edit or overwrite).

You do not have to be a member or even a state worker to use this action center, nor do you have to sign in. Invite your coworkers and friends to contact their legislators as well.

There is one downside to the falling gas prices: The mileage reimbursement rate will fall, too.

The IRS has issued its new rates for 2009: 55 cents for each mile driven for business. The rate had been raised at mid-year to 58.5 cents to account for the higher gas prices. ACSS will reimburse approved mileage at the IRS rate.