Background: MMA participates actively with a broad coalition of the business community in advocating for structural reforms that will streamline government, reduce costs and improve competitiveness. MMA supports the following list of reforms proposed by the coalition:
- Pool all health care plans for public employees.
- Establish an Office of Inspector General in the Department of Community Health to specifically investigate Medicaid fraud and other undocumented payments.
- Reform Public Act 312 to change arbitration standards for police and fire.
- Reform the Urban Cooperation Act and two other similar acts to eliminate the requirement that when a service merger occurs, the higher wage and benefits must be paid.
- Require all new teachers hired by a date certain in the future to have defined contribution, rather than defined benefit, retirement plans.
- Move all administrative functions of local schools to the Intermediate School District (ISD), leaving local school boards with only academic and athletic functions.
- Privatize food service, mental health services and transportation in prisons.
- Require all state employees and retirees to contribute 25 percent of health care premium co-pays.
- Exempt government construction from prevailing wage statutes.
- Prohibit state and local governments from requiring Project Labor Agreements.
- Let county sheriffs take over the road patrol function of the Michigan State Police.
- Require that school districts competitively bid all non-core functions, including transportation, food service and custodial work.
- Reduce the number of school districts.
- Reduce mandatory minimum sentences and increase parole rates for all crimes.
- Make Michigan Promise scholarships a forgivable loan, rather than a scholarship, requiring participants to work in Michigan for two years following completion of their degree.
- Require all public school employees and retirees to contribute 25 percent of health care premium co-pays.
- Reduce state worker benefits to the national average.
- Cap school superintendant pay.
- Require program efficiency studies in all government programs to eliminate waste.
- Eliminate undocumented and potentially fraudulent child care payments within the Department of Human Services.