By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – Business groups met in Lansing Tuesday to call for structural reforms from the Legislature and Governor Granholm. They say their list of 20 reforms would help eliminate future embarrassment from state budget failures.
Jim Holcombe is with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.
"We simply cannot keep going down the path we've set ourselves upon where each year we path together a budget, we cobble something together, and put off the tough choices for another two years," he said.
The list of reforms include a state worker health care pool similar to House Speaker Andy Dillon's plan. The business groups say Dillon's plan could save even more money if it went further and raised premium co-pays. But critics of the plan say the numbers being thrown around are abstract, and to find real savings the state would have to cut employee benefits.