Rep. Dian Slavens on Lawmakers' Health Care Perk

Statement from State Rep. Dian Slavens, D-Canton, following Gov. Rick Snyder's signing of a law reducing taxpayer-funded lifetime health care for two current state lawmakers:

Our state leaders are not sharing in the sacrifice they have been preaching by signing legislation which will still cost taxpayers $5 million a year to pay for lifetime health care for past and over a dozen current lawmakers.

Michigan's hard-working men and women don't receive the kind of luxurious perks that Lansing politicians are receiving which shows just how out of touch they are with the struggles our citizens are going through in these tough economic times.

I and many of my Democratic colleagues already voluntarily gave up the option for ourselves, and it is disappointing that everyone on the other side of the aisle were not willing to do so. All lawmakers should be working for the people they represent, not themselves.