By AP
LANSING, MI –
A 3 percent pay raise scheduled for Michigan's union-represented state government workers on Oct. 1 appears to be safe.
The Republican-led state Senate failed again Thursday to pass a measure aimed at repealing the raises. The proposal got 23 votes, three short of the two-thirds majority needed to advance to the Democrat-led House.
Lawmakers are scheduled to leave for a two-week break after Thursday and would not be back in session in time to rescind the raises by an April 11 deadline.
Republican senators twice tried to repeal the raises earlier this month, but fell a few votes short each time. The raise for roughly 35,000 state workers would cost the state's general fund about $45 million.
House Republicans have not been able to force a vote on the proposal.