Livingston Today

State Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township, issued a statement today following her vote against House Bill 5803. The bill proposes reallocating $670 million from Michigan’s public school teachers’ retirement fund, known as MPSERS, to finance other projects. Currently, MPSERS is underfunded by more than $30 billion.

“Michigan’s teacher retirement fund is already underfunded by more than $30 billion. Raiding it for other projects is an irresponsible decision that directly threatens the financial security of our educators,” Bollin stated. “Our teachers dedicate themselves every day to shaping the future of our children, and they deserve the certainty of the retirement they were promised. Diverting their retirement funds to unrelated projects is a betrayal of their trust and a slap in the face to their hard work.”

Bollin emphasized the state's obligation to fund these retirements under Michigan law: “We must honor our commitments and stop playing politics with their retirement benefits. We owe it to our teachers to make consistent, responsible payments to reduce this massive debt.”

She criticized any attempts at restructuring the debt or adding flexibility in spending these funds as "short-sighted and irresponsible." Bollin concluded her statement by reaffirming her commitment to meeting obligations, safeguarding teacher retirements, and ensuring promises made are kept.

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