BOLISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Some retired government employees in Idaho are calling for the state to restore inflation-adjusted cost of living adjustments through the state’s pension program.

The newly formed nonprofit, called the Retired Public Employees of Idaho, says it’s hoping to strengthen the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, which is commonly called PERSI.

In a news conference Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol, the group’s spokesperson, former Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson, said the state’s bumps to pension payouts for retired government employees haven’t kept up with rising living costs.

Between 2019 and 2024, PERSI retirement benefits only rose 8% while inflation rose by more than 22%, he said. In 2023, for example, PERSI’s board has only approved a cost-of-liv

See Full Page