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TESTIMONY House Bill 4205 HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE February 23, 2011 Thank you, Chairman Stamas and committee members. My name is Richard Weiler, President of the Michigan Association of Police Organizations. I can be reached at 248-524-3200. This will serve as our testimony regarding House Bill 4205, legislation to repeal P A 312. The Michigan Association of Police Organizations is the largest statewide organization of certified law enforcement officers in Michigan. Our membership consists of the following groups: Detroit Police Officers Association Detroit Police Lieutenants and Sergeants Warren Police Officers Association Police Officers Labor Council Michigan Association of Police Michigan State Police Troopers Association Michigan State Police Command Officers Association Grand Rapids Police Officers Association On behalf of the membership of MAPO, we wish to share our unequivocal opposition to the outright elimination of binding arbitration for Michigan's police officers and firefighters.
In these tough times, we should allow data to inform our decision-making. There is no data to support the elimination of 312. Certain elected officials, for their own political benefit, have turned 312 into the source of all that is wrong with municipal finances. This is clearly not the case. Declining revenue sharing and declining property tax revenues have placed local budgets in uncharted negative waters. Municipal employers are now choosing to go to 312 because they know arbitrators are recognizing their "inability to pay" and are siding with the employer. MAPO has consistently indicated openness to updating 312 to streamline and improve the process. Like the old saying about democracy, 312 is the worst system except for all the others. We urge the committee members and the Michigan House of Representatives to embrace "common-sense" reforms. Thank you for your time and attention HOUSE BILL No. 4205 February 8, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Haveman, Moss, Bumstead, Opsommer, McMillin, Price, Lund, Lori and Yonker and referred the Committee on Government Operations. A bill to repeal 1969 PA 312, entitled "An act to provide for compulsory arbitration of labor disputes in municipal police and fire departments; to define such public departments; to provide for the selection of members of arbitration panels; to prescribe the procedures and authority thereof; and to provide for the enforcement and review of awards thereof," (MCL 423.231 to 423.247). THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1. Enacting section 1. 1969 PA 312, MCL 423.231 to 423.247, is 2. repealed.
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