“I could not support the changes House Republicans offered to our teacher retirement system because I believe they are unfair to taxpayers and unfair to teachers. The plan that passed out of the House today will raise costs and increase risk, while doing nothing to address the debt that exists within MPSERS. This plan is actually more expensive for school districts and takes money out of the classroom. That’s particularly bad for the school districts of House District 110, which are small and mostly rural. Some students are forced to take a nearly hour-long bus ride to attend the closest school. This new retirement plan won’t help us attract good teachers to Michigan or my communities because it simply doesn’t offer the secure retirement that people are looking for. I voted no because our teachers and children deserve better.”
