Delegates passed a bill making big changes to the insurance program for public employees after more than three hours of Saturday session debate.
And delegates later passed a pay raise bill recently described by state officials as a cushion for the increased insurance premium costs. The insurance bill and pay raise legislation have been moving in lockstep, described as intertwined.
The insurance bill wound up passing 69-27, with a robust debate over the solvency of the program and the state’s level of support for its workers. Public employees and representatives of labor organizations watched from the galleries.
