We Fought & Won (for now)!
When We Rise Together: How Firefighter Retirees Fought Back Against a Raid on the LEOFF 1 Pension Fund
By Michael Duchemin, President, RFFOW
In the halls of Olympia this year, two bills emerged that became a serious concern to every retired firefighter in Washington State: SSB 5085 and SHB 2034. Quietly introduced during the 2025 legislative session, these bills threatened to upend the promise made to Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters under the LEOFF 1 retirement system — that the pension fund would be exclusively there for the LEOFF 1 beneficiaries.
At first glance, they may have appeared like administrative tweaks to “align legacy systems” or “consolidate funds for efficiency.” But the truth was far more significant. These proposals would have redirected surplus funds from the fully funded LEOFF 1 pension plan, built through decades of service and sacrifice, and re-purposed them for general state spending or future pension obligations unrelated to LEOFF 1 members and benefit enhancements for two separate pension plans. In effect, they cracked open a locked vault that was never meant to be tampered with—a vault held in trust for those who risked their lives protecting Washington’s citizens.
SSB 5085 sought to authorize a merger of “legacy” pension systems and use the LEOFF 1 surplus as a piggy bank for other government liabilities. SHB 2034 went further: proposing to "restate" the LEOFF 1 plan itself—a provision that could have fundamentally altered the legal nature of the pension fund and paved the way for legislative raids down the road. These bills weren’t just about dollars. They were about trust, legal promises, and a disturbing precedent: that dedicated pension funds, even when fully funded, could be viewed as a public resource for balancing the state’s checkbook.
We refused to let that happen.
The Retired Firefighters of Washington (RFFOW) mobilized. We rallied not just our members, but built coalitions with LEOFF 1 & 2 groups, law enforcement retiree associations, the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, and concerned legislators from both parties. We launched email campaigns. We testified at public hearings. We explained—firmly and respectfully—why these bills were not only wrong, but illegal and dangerous. We leaned on strong legal opinions that emphasized the constitutional and statutory protections surrounding our pension system. Our members flooded inboxes and picked up the phone to speak directly to their representatives. We even met with candidates running for office to make sure they understood the gravity of the situation.
And when the moment came, our unified voice made the difference.
Neither bill passed. Despite early momentum and committee hearings, they stalled under the weight of resistance. The State Legislature referred the proposals to the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP) for further study—a clear signal that the Legislature wasn't ready to test the legal and political backlash of pushing these measures forward.
Yes, the fight is not over. The SCPP is now tasked with reviewing the “tax, legal, actuarial, and administrative” implications of the ideas behind SSB 5085 and SHB 2034. But we have bought time. And more importantly, we’ve shown that when we stand together, we are a force to be reckoned with.
This was more than a policy debate. It was a line in the sand—between fiduciary integrity and fiscal manipulation. The LEOFF 1 fund exists because of the public’s sacred covenant with those who served under danger, duress, and duty. That covenant is not up for renegotiation.
Our members served their communities with bravery. Now, in retirement, they showed up again—this time in a different kind of uniform. With pens instead of hoses, legal briefs instead of axes, and a shared commitment instead of shift rotations, they demonstrated what solidarity looks like.
We’re not going away. And we’re watching.
Let this serve as a reminder to every legislator: the LEOFF 1 fund is not yours to take. It was earned, not gifted. Promised, not borrowed. And we will defend it—together.
