LANSING — This week, Republican legislators are considering efforts to strip away critically important benefits for retired police and firefighters, such as health care. In response, state Representative John Chirkun (D-Roseville) issued the following response:
“As a former sergeant in the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, I know what police, firefighters and emergency responders face every time they go out on a call. We owe it to them to see that they have good health care when they retire and that they’re well taken care of. The state has underfunded local governments for years, and any plan that considers stripping away the benefits first responders have earned is wrong. I stand with my first responders and will fight to preserve the health care benefits they were promised, which they earned and they deserve.”