Earlier this year, Michigan Capitol Confidential broke the story of MEA President Steve Cook spiking his public school employee pension. He will be able to collect over $100,000 a year from the underfunded system when he retires, despite working only part time as a paraprofessional in the Lansing School District over twenty years ago.

Several news outlets picked up on the story, which led to the creation of several bills currently under consideration in the legislature: SB 279, which makes pension spiking illegal; and SB 280, which would prevent taxpayers from funding the “release time” teachers use to work on union business. 

In its coverage of the two bills in the June 16 edition, The Detroit News credited the Mackinac Center and Michigan Capitol Confidential for coverage of Steve Cook's pension spiking with bringing these issues to the table.

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