What's Happening in Lansing?

House Bill 4572 with Hard Cap Passes House
With a vote of 58-51, the House approved HB 4572 which would place a hard cap on the amount an employer could spend on on employees' health care coverage.
Starting in 2010, an employer could spend no more than $15,000 on family coverage; $11,000 for two-person coverage; and $5,500 for an individual. The state treasurer would increase those caps each year based on the change to the medical care component of the Consumer
Price Index.
If a school district paid more than the amount legislated, they would face a 10 percent reduction in their state aid funding.
SB 7, the Senate's alternative to this legislation, requires an 80/20 percent cost sharing with public employees paying 20 percent of their health care coverage.
CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR and tell him/her to oppose HB 4572. Tell them the hard cap is an unfair state mandate that is anti-family and undermines local control. If not you than who?
With a vote of 58-51, the House approved HB 4572 which would place a hard cap on the amount an employer could spend on on employees' health care coverage.
Starting in 2010, an employer could spend no more than $15,000 on family coverage; $11,000 for two-person coverage; and $5,500 for an individual. The state treasurer would increase those caps each year based on the change to the medical care component of the Consumer
Price Index.
If a school district paid more than the amount legislated, they would face a 10 percent reduction in their state aid funding.
SB 7, the Senate's alternative to this legislation, requires an 80/20 percent cost sharing with public employees paying 20 percent of their health care coverage.
CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR and tell him/her to oppose HB 4572. Tell them the hard cap is an unfair state mandate that is anti-family and undermines local control. If not you than who?
Harper Creek's Own (Emily Subers HCEA Co-President and Cindy Fredenburg HCEA Vice-President) Speak Out in Lansing with their concerns on possible new tenure laws.

Current Michigan Law places teachers on probation for their first four full school years. The bills lengthen the probationary period to five years.
The bills allow for teachers who are on probation to be dismissed at any time. Teachers would have to be rated as "effective" or better on their three most recent performance evaluations to get off probation.
Tenured teachers could be placed back on probation if they are rated as ineffective. Continued poor ratings would result in dismissal.
CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and urge him/her to support SB 503 rather than House Bills 4525-4628. It provides a fair dismissal procedure that protects the due process rights of teachers and streamlines the tenure process.
REMEMBER: "SILENCE GIVES CONSENT" - Pope Boniface VIII
The bills allow for teachers who are on probation to be dismissed at any time. Teachers would have to be rated as "effective" or better on their three most recent performance evaluations to get off probation.
Tenured teachers could be placed back on probation if they are rated as ineffective. Continued poor ratings would result in dismissal.
CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and urge him/her to support SB 503 rather than House Bills 4525-4628. It provides a fair dismissal procedure that protects the due process rights of teachers and streamlines the tenure process.
REMEMBER: "SILENCE GIVES CONSENT" - Pope Boniface VIII