Contract, pension reform bills sail through Senate

Bipartisan bills approving 10 state employee contracts and pension reform sailed through the state Senate Monday morning. Both bills now head to the state House for consideration.

The Senate approved the bipartisan contract bill, Senate File (SF) 3154, authored by Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona), 56-10. The “clean” contract bill approves MAPE’s and AFSCME’s contracts, as well as eight additional bargaining agreements. The bipartisan bill was approved by a voice vote Thursday morning of the Senate Finance Committee after passing the Senate’s State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee earlier last week.

MAPE's 2017-19 proposed contract calls for a 2 percent cost-of-living increase retroactive to July 1, 2017, and a 2.25 percent wage increase on July 1, 2018. Step increases are included each year for those who are eligible. MAPE's contract also includes up to six weeks of paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child for eligible state employees. The proposed agreement also includes lower-than-expected health-care costs and an improved dental program.

The Senate approved the bipartisan pension reform bill, SF 2620, authored by Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center), by a whopping 66-0. The bill makes several changes to pensions to ensure long-term solvency. Bipartisan comments from senators on the pension reform bill praised the three years of hard work and “shared sacrifice” designed in the bill to ensure the long-term solvency of the state pensions.