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, House Democratic Floor Leader Christine Greig (D-Farmington Hills) issued the following statement:
“Today, I stood in solidarity with police officers and firefighters to demand the Legislature honor promises made that allow them to retire with dignity after decades of service to keep us safe. As legislators, we came together to honor our communities’ first responders on our annual 9/11 commemoration. These police, firefighters and paramedics are the heroes of our community, and they deserve our respect. That’s why I can’t fathom why my colleagues across the aisle would turn around and threaten to take away their health care benefits in retirement — a time when many of these hometown heroes are contending with the consequences of the injuries they sustained in the line of duty. Instead of balancing the budget on their backs, we should be talking about restoring revenue sharing to local communities, so that cities and counties can meet their financial obligations to these brave men and women.”