Please explain to me why teachers cannot collect Social Security.

State law requires public school teachers to enroll in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana, and as members of the TRSL teachers don’t contribute to Social Security.

But, as a TRSL brochure notes, that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t receive Social Security benefits.

“Some members may be eligible for Social Security benefits through their spouse or from another job in which they paid into Social Security,” reads the brochure.

“Social Security benefits may be a major source of retirement income for you. However, under federal Social Security law, these benefits may be reduced upon receiving your TRSL benefits.”

The Social Security program, created in 1935, initially excluded public employees. Laws enacted in the 1950s authorized states to enter agreements with the federal government to extend coverage to their public workers.

As The Informer has noted before, Louisiana’s public retirement systems predate those laws.

The TRSL was created in 1936; the Louisiana State Police Retirement System was founded in 1938; and both the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System and the Louisiana School Employees’ Retirement System date from 1946.

Participation in the state police and school employee systems has been a condition of employment since the programs’ inception. Membership in the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System was voluntary until 1958, when it became mandatory for rank-and-file workers.

Some local governments in Louisiana voted to leave the Social Security system in the 1970s; the federal government enacted a law in 1983 to prohibit such withdrawals.

In 1990, Social Security coverage became mandatory for state and local government workers who aren’t members of state pension programs.

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Online: www.trsl.org/main/retirees/social_security.

LC received $11M in gambling revenue

How much gambling money does Lake Charles get, and what do they use it for?

According to the city’s fiscal year 2015 financial report, released in April by the state legislative auditor, Lake Charles received $11,054,210 in gambling revenue between Oct. 1, 2014, and Sept. 30, 2015.

The report says the money was used for capital projects, including wastewater plant work, and debt payment on the $90 million bond issue approved by voters in 2006.

Gambling revenue totals for the previous nine years, according to the report:

2006 — $3,024,702.

2007 — $6,961,367.

2008 — $8,399,666.

2009 — $9,099,020.

2010 — $8,959,034.

2011 — $9,113,904.

2012 — $9,713,282.

2013 — $9,691,942.

2014 — $9,664,375.

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Online: www.lla.la.gov.

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The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.