from todays bcct:
Legislation would create benefits plan for school workers
By: JOAN HELLYER
Bucks County Courier Times
Opponents say the proposal favors the unions too much.
HARRISBURG - A Pennsylvania lawmaker from Central Bucks County has co-authored legislation that would create a statewide health benefits plan for school employees.
School districts pay about $1.5 billion per year or approximately $1 out of every $6 of property taxes toward employee health care costs, state officials said.
House Bill 1881 would establish a benefits board to secure health plans for school employees across the state at a lower rate than what school districts pay individually to cover benefit costs, according to the state House Web site.
The initiative would save hundreds of millions of dollars, lower property taxes and contain costs in the long term, according to State Rep. David Kessler, the Berks County Democrat who introduced the bill last week in Harrisburg with State Rep. Bernie O'Neill, R-29, of Warminster.
"This would take the burden off the local school boards and local taxpayers to negotiate (employee health benefits)," said O'Neill, a former special education teacher at Centennial's William Tennent High School in Warminster. "This is one of the biggest things we can do to make better use of our education dollars at the state and local level."
The Pennsylvania State Education Association supports the proposed legislation, said Wythe Keever, a spokesman for the state teachers union.
"Our members face increased pressure at the bargaining table because of rising health care and insurance costs," Keever said. "PSEA believes a well-designed statewide health care plan that satisfies the need of public school employees represents the best possible solution to address the external forces impacting health care coverage."
But not everyone is sold on the idea, though it is getting bipartisan support from House members.
The proposed set-up tilts the benefits board in the favor of labor unions, Tim Allwein, Pennsylvania School Boards Association assistant executive director, said Tuesday.
The Pennsylvania benefits board would include the state finance, education and administration secretaries and insurance commissioner, eight school employee representatives and four candidates recommended by the PSBA, a trade group.
"There's not enough input for the taxpayers," Allwein said.
O'Neill said he'll meet with PSBA representatives in Harrisburg today to try to resolve their concerns.
In the meantime, the bill has been referred to the state House Appropriations Committee for consideration.
If state lawmakers and the governor approve of the plan, the benefits board could be established by July 2010, Allwein said.
The board's first order of business will be to review the benefit plans of all school districts in the state and then come up with a proposal on how to consolidate the costs, he said.
