Mar
2
Written by:
Peter Spadafore
Tuesday, March 02, 2010 3:55 PM
The following is an informal synopsis of the hearing that took place on Tuesday, March 02, 2010.
Senate Reform and Restructuring Committee – the following is an informal synopsis of the hearing that took place on Tuesday, March 02, 2010. Please note, that sentences may be incomplete. For questions on the content of the hearing, contact Peter Spadafore at pspadafore@masb.org or post comments below.
Chairman Bishop opened the hearing at 2:38PM today with testimony from the sponsors of SB 1046 & SB 1047, Senators Jansen and Sanborn. Sen. Bishop, “These proposals would provide…school districts many resources to balance budget and balance the budget in years to come.”
Sen. Sanborn opened testimony on his legislation, Senate Bill 1047. “We can’t do it anymore with cuts and cuts alone” – Sen. Sanborn. SB 1047 would allow public employers to purchase insurance through the state’s health insurance benefit plan.
Sen. Jansen began his testimony on SB 1046 and SJR P. “This is a tool we can give to some of our locals to help with upcoming challenges.” Requires all public employees to pay between 10 and 20 percent of health care premiums. This does not limit negotiations over the content of the health plans. The current substitute allows for local governments (school districts excluded) to opt out of the plan with a 2/3 vote of their boards.
Sen. Cherry asked of Sen. Jansen, “How is this a tool for the locals?” For schools, this is real money…will allow schools to keep teachers if dollars aren’t going into full premium.
Throughout the hearing several superintendents from across the state got up to testify on behalf of their districts’ and their opinions. Most were very supportive of requiring an employee share of health care premiums. Given the financial hardship facing districts all over Michigan, reducing employer costs for health care premiums would allow school districts to keep the money where it belongs – in the classroom. As health care costs continue to increase and state funding continues to dwindle, something will have to give – either we eliminate staff or save dollars to keep staff.
Of course big ideas don’t come without opposition. Several lobbyists from employee union organizations testified in opposition to these bills.
Don Wotruba provided testimony to the committee on behalf of MASB. MASB is very supportive of this legislative concept. MASB would like to see a hard cap in place to ensure that employees and employers remain engaged in the bargaining process.
In the end, this committee hearing was for the purpose of testimony only.
-Peter Spadafore, MASB