By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI –
Voters in Michigan may soon have to decide if all public employees and teachers should take a five percent pay cut. A new Senate GOP plan for major governmental reforms would call for a pay cut that would last three years. The measure would require an amendment to the state constitution, and a public vote in November.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop says the pay cut would prevent more layoffs of state and local employees.
"We expect that if we are able to all come together and together agree to be part of the solution then we can save the jobs of our fellow employees and not have to go through this every year where everybody has to worry about the pink slip in the mail," he explained.
The measure is part of a package of reforms that Senate leaders estimate could save the state as much as $2.5 billion. Other reforms include cutting Medicaid options and groups, limiting administrative costs for K-through-12 schools and ending lifetime health benefits for new and incoming legislators.