Before adjourning for much of the summer – except for one scheduled session day in July – the state House passed an education budget that now goes to the Senate this Thursday. The education spending plan is expected to be signed by the governor shortly after that.
We hear it often – “All politicians are the same. Why vote?” Or members tell us – “Why bother phoning or emailing legislators? They never listen anyway.”
Despite pressure from many MEA members who traveled to the Capitol on short notice, the Michigan House and Senate today narrowly passed legislation that would weaken retirement security for newly hired school employees and increase future costs to taxpayers.
June 15, 2017 — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Steven Cook regarding today’s passage of SB 401 and HB 4647:
It’s crunch time. Take action TODAY to stop lawmakers from dismantling retirement security for school employees – Call, write or email your representative and senator immediately. If you’re out of school, come to Lansing tomorrow (Thursday) and join the fight in person.
We’re getting word that a bill to make school calendar and schedule prohibited subjects of bargaining might be on the move again.
June 13, 2017 —The details are the most critical thing when it comes to something as complicated as pensions – until we get to see and analyze bill language, it’s impossible to know for sure how much this plan will cost and whether it’s good public policy or not.
However, based on what’s been publicly reported, this seems to be little more than a shell game that goes about closing the hybrid pension plan in another way – something that is certain to cost Michigan taxpayers billions in transition costs, just as the original versions of SB 401 and HB 4647 would have.
One year ago, Lansing teacher Deborah McMillan pressed Gov. Rick Snyder to stop appealing the 3 percent retirement court case. The 40-year veteran teacher was a lead plaintiff in the 2010 lawsuit seeking the return of money involuntarily taken from school employees’ paychecks.
The Michigan Supreme Court on Thursday announced they would hear Gov. Snyder’s appeal of the so-called 3 percent case, meaning another round of court action before a ruling is issued.
