MI Senate Passes 20% Health Insurance Bill

The Michigan Senate has passed a bill that would require public employees to pay 20% of their health insurance premiums.

It passed by a 25–13 margin, with Escanaba Republican Tom Casperson crossing the aisle to vote ‘no’ along with Democrats.

If it’s signed into law, the bill would take effect at the start of 2012.

Public employees hired since the beginning of last year already pay 20%, so the measure would affect workers hired in 2009 and earlier.

They pay 10%.

The downstate lawmaker who sponsored the bill says all the savings will stay at the local level.

He says it would allow school districts to avoid layoffs.