Arizona Retirement Security Coalition

About The Arizona Retirement Security Coalition

Educators and other dedicated public employees are under attack in Arizona. Our public employees have dedicated their lives to difficult, sometimes dangerous jobs, and they have always played by the rules. Now extremist politicians and Wall-Street-backed special interests want to change those rules in the middle of the game and take away the retirement security that Arizona’s working families have earned. The Arizona Retirement Security Coalition stands up for those families. ARSC provides the public and the media with resources, research, and facts about the true cost of gutting public pension systems and the extremist agenda that’s out to weaken retirement security for all Arizonans. The risky non-reforms being pushed by Wall Street and its pet politicians will not help government budgets or the economy. Join us and help protect public pensions.

About The Arizona State Retirement System

In 1912, Arizona's first year of statehood, the first teacher retired with an Arizona State teacher's pension. From 1912 until 1943, Arizona teachers were granted pensions by the State Legislature if they had at least 30 years of service in Arizona schools and were 65 years of age or older. All teachers' pensions were $50 per month; there were no member deposits or survivor benefits. In 1970, the Legislature agreed to enact the current Arizona State Retirement System Fixed Benefit Plan if 70 percent or more state employees and teachers voted to transfer to the new plan. More than 80 percent of eligible members voted for the new plan, which became effective July 1, 1971. Most political subdivisions subsequently voted to join. Today, the ASRS membership includes the State of Arizona, the three state universities, community college districts, school districts and charter schools, all 15 counties, most cities and towns, and various special districts.

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