The Plain Language of the Law: Senate Fails to Reject Government Pay Hike

Excerpts from Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 35, which would have rejected a 3 percent pay hike for unionized state government employees for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2010:

Whereas, The additional cost of these state employee contractual increases to the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget is estimated to be $77.3 million; and

Whereas, Michigan's hardworking families and private sector employees have faced layoffs, pay cuts, loss of benefits, and other employment concessions. According to government statistics, the average annual salary of a Michigan classified state employee in 2009 was $54,246, while the average annual salary for the state's private sector employees was $43,831, a difference of 23 percent. Michigan's state classified employee base salary ranked sixth-highest in the nation; and

Whereas, As of November 2009, Michigan has lost 831,500 wage and salary jobs since 2000, a decline of 17.7 percent. The Senate Fiscal Agency forecasts continued job losses for 2010 and 2011. In December 2009, our unemployment rate continued to be the highest in the nation at 14.6 percent. Michigan's unemployment rate has been the highest in the nation for the last four years. Since December 2008, the state's jobless rate is up 4.4 percent from 10.2 percent. Michigan's per capita personal income is expected to decline by 2.7 percent in 2009. This decline in personal income in 2009 will be the first decline since 1958 and the worst drop since 1945; and

Whereas, Based on the January Consensus Revenue Estimate, Michigan faces a potential budget deficit of $1.6 billion . . .; now therefore be it

Resolved, that the legislature hereby rejects the 3 percent civil service compensation increases.

Democrats voting no:
Clarke, Prusi, Anderson, Barcia, Basham, Scott, Brater, Gleason, Olshove, Thomas, Hunter, Cherry, Jacobs, Whitmer, Clark-Coleman

Democrats voting yes:
Switalski

Republicans voting yes:
Allen, Cropsey, Jansen, Patterson, Garcia, Kahn, George, Kuipers, Richardville, Gilbert, McManus, Sanborn, Bishop, Nofs, Stamas, Hardiman, Van Woerkom, Cassis, Pappageorge, Birkholz

Republicans present but not voting:
Patterson

Republicans Voting no:
none

Roll Call Vote Details from MichiganVotes.org