"Fighting waste, fraud and abuse in our welfare system is something I have been working on since day one in the Legislature, and this is a true victory for Michigan residents," said state Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville. "DHS audited their list of welfare recipients this summer and found that there are people on there who have been collecting welfare money for 15 years. Not only is that a disgusting abuse of the system, it's proof that changes were necessary. The money spent on welfare comes out of our pockets and it is crucial that such a limited resource be used appropriately."

Also approved today was legislation instituting a dollar cap on the amount of money paid toward health care benefits for schools, local governments and the Legislature. The plan will bring public sector benefits more in line with the private sector.

"Spending on public employee health benefits is out of control, plain and simple, and I include the cost of lawmakers' benefits in that," Agema said. "Requiring Michigan taxpayers to continue to foot the rather generous bill for others' health care is unfair and our vote today brings some reality to the health care fantasy public employees have been living in."

Under the legislation, public employers would not pay more than $5,500 annually for individual employee health care, $11,000 for married couples and $15,000 for family plans.  Schools and local municipalities will be given the option to pay 80 percent of employee health care costs instead.  Municipal governments could vote to opt out of both choices entirely.

The House also voted to move school board and intermediate school district elections to match general elections, making it easier for voters to get to the polls and saving money for local governments. That legislation, House Bills 4005-4006, now go to the Senate for consideration.