Senate Majority Leader and local State Senator Mike Shirkey joined WKHM with GOC to talk about a few reforms in the works, pension tax fairness, and car insurance reform.
Shirkey certainly didn’t disappoint when we talked about pension tax.“This is one of my proudest votes; we had a very unfair tax system and tax policy for those of retirement age, before we passed this law. Before we made this change, those who were lucky enough to have a defined benefits pensions, mostly state workers, didn’t have to pay any income tax on their pensions. Everybody else who scrimped and saved to live on in retirement had to pay an income tax on their retirement income, which was simply not fair.” Shirkey continued, “If we want to take that amount of money that was captured when we passed that tax and spread it out over every single senior in Michigan, I’m all ears, but I’m not going to do it just for a special group.”
Senator Shirkey said that car insurance reform is on the front burner, “Number one priority, I’m very excited and optimistic about where it sits right now. The tenor in Michigan is completely changed. Those who opposed it in the past are now attending meetings a little more tepidly and willing to offer ideas of what they can accept and what they think we should do. I believe this time that it’s the real deal. I hope I’m not jinxing myself,” Shirkey said. “I hope to have it in front of the governor before we take summer break.”
