Most public employees would be required to pay at least 20 percent of their health benefit costs under a bill approved by the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate.
The measure was approved along a mostly party line vote.
Republican state Senator Mark Jansen sponsored the measure.
"Not all of us are all that excited all the time about doing these things," said Jansen. "In fact we know people that this impacts – in fact if you look in the mirror, it’ll impact each one of you sitting here today. But we know it’s the right thing to do – and I know that’s very subjective."
Democratic state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer says the state is asking too much from public employees – especially teachers.
"I heard Governor Snyder defend the $250,000 price tag for his budget director by saying 'you get what you pay for,'" Whitmer said. "Well isn’t that true for the most important people to our kid’s success as well? Why is that rationale sufficient for the governor paying taxpayer dollars, and not true for the people working every day to help our kids?"
The Senate also approved a constitutional amendment that would give the Legislature control over the benefit plans of university employees and state civil service employees.
That plan is unlikely to clear the state House, where Republicans don’t have the two-thirds majority needed to put the measure on the ballot.
