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Nothing Moves On Teacher Benefit Reforms
MIRS, December 13, 2005
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After all was said and done, a lot was said and nothing was done in regard to GOP attempts to change the structure of teacher benefits in Michigan.

As Tuesday began, the predictions were upbeat about a four-bill package that would have allowed school districts to form education health care pools without the oversight of the Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA).

The issue pitted the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and its insurance-wing, the Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA), which opposed the legislation against those who supported it — most notably the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and nearly all of the House Republicans.

However, by mid-afternoon the word was that there had been Republican defections and the bills were in trouble. None of these bills were even brought up today.

"They (the Republicans) didn't have the votes to pass the health care legislation," MEA Director of Government Affairs Al SHORT told MIRS. "We had enough votes to get our amendments on. If they don't have enough votes to pass it, there's no use in them putting it up."

Short said a compromise could have been reached, but the Republicans didn't like what he had to offer.

"They still wanted to mess with MESSA," Short said.

On the issue of school employee retirement reform legislation, HB 4947, the prospects for passage in the House hadn't looked good going into the day, and they never got any better.

Initially, HB 4947 would have changed Michigan's teacher school employee retirement system to a defined contribution structure. The battle over HB 4947 is what kept the House in session all day on Dec. 1. On that day, the legislation was stripped of the defined contribution wording, and negotiations between House GOP leadership and the MEA were officially going to get under way.

"We haven't even gotten close to an agreement on the retirement issue," Short told MIRS, in reference to those negotiations.

MIRS asked Short if today's lack of action on the two pieces of legislation should be interpreted as a victory for the MEA.

"No, it's still there," Short said. "It will just carry over into next year. There was no reason it had to be done by Dec. 31. It could still happen in January, February or March. We'll still be talking. The issues aren't going away."
     

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