LANSING, Michigan - Local government officials today (Friday, Jan. 29, 2010) urged Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, to Strengthen the reforms he has proposed to Public Act (PA) 312, which is the state law that governs police and fire contracts. In a meeting in Lansing with the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees, Bishop said the Senate is proposing 10 reforms that will "stop out-of-control spending," including amendments to changes to PA 312 that will speed up the arbitration process during contract negotiations. Other reforms in the Senate Republican plan include changes to public employee health care, K-12 school spending, Medicaid spending, government efficiency and public employee compensation. While League officials applauded the Senate for beginning debate on PA 312 and some of the other reforms, they urged Bishop to include a provision that would require arbitrators negotiating contracts for police officers and firefighters to consider a community's ability to pay. Currently, PA 312 does not require arbitrators to consider if a community can afford the police and fire contract proposals that are on the table for negotiation.
Matt Bach is communications director for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at (734) 669-6317 or mbach@mml.org.
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