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Teachers, Police, Firefighters and state employees continue to fight against changes to their pension plan. In Tallahassee today, both the House and Senate moved forward with budget’s calling for different levels of pension contributions, and requiring at least some contribution seems to be a foregone conclusion.

Anger has been building since Rick Scott first announced he wanted a 5% pension contributions from employees who haven’t had a raise in as many years. It has been 36 years since the state took over all funding of the pension fund. Many, like correctional officer Jim Baiardi, see the contributions as a foregone conclusion.

“It seems like the word of the day up here is contributions”, says Baiardi.

Under the House plan, everyone would pay 3% of their salary. The 3% would take more than 700 million in buying power out of public employees hands.

The Senate has a tiered plan:

2 percent for anyone making twenty five thousand or less

4 percent for salaries between 25 and 50 thousand

and 6 percent for anyone making more than 50 k.

Even moderate Republicans like state Senator Paula Dockery of Lakeland balked at the plan during floor debate. “I’m not to be able to support a budget that balances itself on the backs of our state employees”, says Dockery.

The Budget containing the contribution requirements passed 33 to 6.

What happens next is that House and Senate leaders will spend the next three or four weeks negotiation, trying to decide if the pension contribution is as low as two percent or as high as six percent.

Rich Workman has been handling the House plan. For now, he’s not budging on a firm 3%. “Currently, their tiered plan is. I think, is more harmful than the three percent across the board”, says Workman.  And while negotiations continue…public employees plan to keep the pressure on.

Opponents of the pension contribution pointed out the state will spend more than 700 million dollars next year buying right of way for roads. that’s enough to cover the cash the pension contribution will bring in.