HOUSE BUDGET: Take Action!

House Budget Includes Health Insurance Increase for State Workers.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to begin debating the FY 2009 during the week of April 28. Please take a moment to contact your state representative on the following issue:

State Employee Health Insurance

Under the plan proposed by the Governor and seconded by the House budget, state employees earning under $35,000 annually would pay 15% of their health insurance premium; state employees who earn between $35,000 and $50,000 would pay 20%; and state employees who earn over $50,000 would pay 25% of the total premium. If this proposal becomes law, some state employees could see their premiums increase by up to 66% over what they currently pay.

Representative Marty Walsh has filed an amendment (#1187) that would preserve the current rate structure. At the time of filing the amendment had 107 cosponsors, thanks in large part to the emails and phone calls that SEIU 888 members made to their state representatives. However, the battle is not over and we need to make sure that the legislature continues to hear our message. State employees don’t earn enough money to be able to easily absorb such a sharp increase in health insurance costs.

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED: Please click here to send your State Representative an email in support of Rep Walsh’s amendment.


Head Start

Both The Governor and the House level funded the Head Start grant program for FY 2009. However two amendments have been filed that would increase state funding for head start by $1.8 million.

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED: Please click here to send your State Representative an email in support of increased head start funding.