Woods PROVIDED PHOTO
Unlike many other bills being excreted by the Legislature these days, Senate Bill 110 is very subtle in the way it reveals the dysfunction in our Legislature.
This bill directs the university system to stop payments to its employee health care plan for two-month periods when the health insurance program is running a surplus (like it is now). At face value, that sounds like a prudent move but pointed questions need to be asked.
Health insurance is a large part of a university employeeâs compensation. Salaries at Montana universities are quite low, but the amount paid by the university for employee benefits is over $1,000 per month. So hereâs the first pointed question; Since the dollars saved by the health care are part of employee payroll, shouldnât at least some of the tens of millions of dollars saved by SB 110 be used to raise wages and salaries for employees? Isnât that who this money is appropriated for? From what I saw du