Governor Riley Again Urges Board to Reject Subsidized Health Insurance for State Senate

Press Release

Governor Bob Riley is renewing his call for the State Employees Insurance Board to reject state senators' attempts to give themselves taxpayer-subsidized health insurance. The board meets Wednesday to decide on the senators' request.

"First they gave themselves a huge pay raise on an unrecorded vote. Then they gave themselves a huge taxpayer-funded benefit on an unrecorded vote," Governor Riley said. "They are attempting to give themselves free healthcare, but it's certainly not free to the taxpayers."

The board is scheduled to meet Wednesday to consider a resolution that would provide senators with health insurance coverage through the Local Government Health Insurance Program. That resolution was passed by the Senate on the last day of the legislative session on an unrecorded vote.

Governor Riley wrote the State Employees Insurance Board in June expressing his opposition to the senators' efforts. In that letter the Governor said the attempt to provide subsidized health insurance to senators was "illegal and, done in the last hour of the session on an unrecorded vote, it perverts government to the illegitimate pursuit of self-interest and private gain."

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