Governor on teachers' insurance premiums

It was announced this week that teachers in Arkansas will see their insurance premiums increase $28 per month in October. Both active and retired teachers pay much more in health insurance premiums than their state employee counterparts. It's been difficult to persuade an equalization of these two groups, in part because the Arkansas Supreme Court hasn't given Lake View credit for health insurance benefits. The price tag for equalizing the benefit for retired teachers in 2007 was $13.7 million annually. John Lyon with the Arkansas News Bureau reports that the governor said he would consider increasing the benefit, but maintaining court-mandated adequacy is the highest priority.

Also on the budget, John Brummett looks at the recent reduction of the state revenue forecast.