LANSING – State Representatives Frank Accavitti (D-Eastpointe), Steve Bieda (D-Warren) and Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens)today announced a plan that will end lifelong health care for new state lawmakers. The proposal is part of a recently introduced plan to cut the State House budget by $3 million.
"We face an unprecedented fiscal crisis in this state, and cutting the budget alone will not get us out of this financial bind," Accavitti said. "As lawmakers, we must set an example and make sacrifices before we ask our citizens to do the same."
Bieda said, "The Legislature isn't going to sit on its hands during this fiscal crisis. Ending free lifetime health care for new state lawmakers is the right thing to do for Michigan."
The plan, which also requires legislators to shoulder more of the cost of their health care, is part of a larger package proposed in March that will:
- Require current lawmakers to pay more for health care coverage and ensure they pay the same amount for health care that all other state employees pay.
- Increase monthly health care co-pays for State Representatives, their staff members and other legislative workers.
- Cut the budget for the House of Representatives by more than 5 percent or $3 million.
- Ban the use of state funds for out-of-state travel for State Representatives.
- Cut positions within the House of Representatives to eliminate redundancies.
"It is a privilege to serve as the voice of our citizens," Miller said. "We owe it to the people of this state to end the practice of extending this special treatment of free lifetime health care to lawmakers."