The Michigan Senate this morning approved a two-bill health care reform package that puts the health care benefits of lawmakers and other state officials on the same level as that of state employees. The chamber also approved a resolution seeking a five percent pay cut the next time the State Officers Compensation Commission meets.
Under the package, officials would get 30 percent health care coverage after four years of service upon retirement or at the age of 55. The package would increase that coverage by six percent per year of service up to 90 percent of coverage (the current level) after officials had served 14 years.
The package covers lawmakers, the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor General, Constitutional Court Administrator, Supreme Court justices, judges of the Court of Appeals, and circuit court, district court, probate court and Detroit recorder's court judges.
The legislation would go into effect for officials appointed or elected after January 1, 2008. The two bills, SB 0868 and SB 0869 passed without opposition.
Also adopted this morning was SCR 0022, a resolution that would recommend that when the State Officers Compensation Commission next meets, it put in place a five percent pay cut for state lawmakers, state officers and justices of the Supreme Court.
