Free Republic

**SNIP** The 35-year-old Smith is charged with felonious assault, felony firearm, domestic violence assault and battery, and malicious destruction of personal property on accusations he fired as many as ten shots at ex-wife’s parked Mercedes-Benz during a domestic dispute early in the morning of Sunday, May 10, outside his Detroit home. While Smith has not been asked to resign, the leader of the Michigan Senate has said he should give “serious consideration” to whether or not he can still serve his constituents. In a statement out May 12, the day charges were filed against Smith, Republican Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof’s...

Michigan House Republicans recently released a reform agenda that calls for closing the state-run school employee retirement system to new employees. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, reiterated the proposal. The necessity of closing the current defined-benefit pension system and instead offering new employees a defined-contribution plan is simple: the state underfunds pensions. According to the legislative auditor general, the system has been underfunded in all but one of the past 30 years. The system carries a $25.8 billion unfunded liability. Michigan taxpayers are now on the hook for 13 times more in unfunded school pension liabilities than the...