The Magnificent Seven

Ellsworth American, April 24, 2008

(excerpt) At issue was legislation that would have restored early retirement benefits, reduced during a state budget crisis in 1993, to a group of state employees and teachers. The measure had been a top priority in this legislative session for both the Maine Education Association (MEA) and the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA), and both unions brought intense pressure to bear on legislators in their bid to secure its passage.

The original proposal, which would have applied to all state employees and teachers, would have cost Maine an estimated $305 million over 20 years. But in negotiations between the House and Senate, it was scaled back to cover only those employees who were hired when the more lucrative benefits were in place, at an estimated cost of $200 million. The final bill, which had been approved without a roll call vote, also included an amendment, attached by Sen. Peter Mills (R-Somerset County), that would initiate an effort to modernize the entire retirement system.

But when push came to shove on the Appropriations Committee, which must ultimately approve all legislation that includes a fiscal component, some members balked at the oft-stated union claims that restoration of the retirement benefits in question could be accomplished at no cost to the state.