Iowa
Mortality trends for public employee retirees in the years 2015 to 2024.
I do not know anything about Iowa. That is not completely true. As a kid, I memorized all the state capitals … and I can still dredge up the weirdly named Des Moines.
At first glance, the members removed from rolls numbers and graph look kind of familiar - a tick up as the pandemic hits, and remain above the previous average afterwards. But like I said in the last post about Nevada, it may be worth considering whether or not a normal progression is at play with these increasing numbers. Not sure, you think on it.
Additional data is included below for active member deaths. That graphic emphasizes two years with the largest numbers, FY2021 and FY2022. This, as we have pointed out before, would point towards younger employees being impacted in that timeframe.
This Iowa report does provide tables for death benefits by fiscal year. Those tables also conveniently distinguish between the pre-retired and retiree death payouts. Though the numbers in each category do grow bigger, with the largest totals to be found in the most recent fiscal year, there seems to be a steady pattern of growth, year over year. I do not see a “bump” in these numbers that show an unexpected event, like I have in other locations.
Thankfully my blind research into the Iowa story has led me to discover that its government was not inclined to mandate. I don’t know why, but I had assumed the opposite.
IOWA PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM
FY2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
A Pension Trust Fund of the State of Iowa for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024
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*the following graph combines the numbers from the tables below for retirees and beneficiaries removed.
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page 84 (RETIREES AND BENEFICIARIES — CHANGES IN ROLLS)
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page 109 (Analysis of Change in Active Membership)
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page 112 (Schedule of Benefit Payments by Type of Benefit)
Iowa governor signs vaccine mandate exemption bill into law
Oct. 29, 2021
“Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed into law a bill that allows Iowa workers to seek medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates and guarantees that those who are fired for refusing a vaccine will qualify for unemployment benefits.
Reynolds signed the bill a day after the Iowa Legislature passed it in a one-day special session convened to pass the state’s redistricting maps. The law becomes effective immediately.
Reynolds has opposed government requirements for masks and vaccines, even though COVID-19 has killed nearly 7,000 people in Iowa and medical science has shown both tools to be effective in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
She said in a statement that “no Iowan should be forced to lose their job or livelihood over the COVID-19 vaccine.””
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Governor Reynolds signs bipartisan vaccine mandate bill into law
October 29, 2021
“As I’ve stated publicly numerous times, I believe the vaccine is the best defense against COVID-19 and we’ve provided Iowans with the information they need to determine what’s best for themselves and their families, but no Iowan should be forced to lose their job or livelihood over the COVID-19 vaccine.
“This is only the first step. We will be taking other legal actions against the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate.”
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Gov. Reynolds files lawsuit challenging Biden Administration's vaccine mandate rule
November 5, 2021
“As stated in the complaint: “This mandate is unconstitutional, unlawful, and
unwise. The federal government lacks constitutional authority under its
enumerated powers to issue this mandate, and its attempt to do so
unconstitutionally infringes on the States’ powers expressly reserved by the
Tenth Amendment.”
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*in case you have forgotten …
Pandemic Milestones:
January 20, 2020
-First covid case in the U.S.
December 11, 2020
-Pfizer Emergency Use Authorization
December 18, 2020
-Moderna Emergency Use Authorization
August 23, 2021
-Pfizer full FDA approval
January 31, 2022
-Moderna full FDA approval
April 10, 2023
-Biden declares the end of the pandemic
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csofand— Good to see this. An interesting case. Seems that with the mandates the governor tried to straddle the fence.