Sweeney will propose plan to increase public employee benefits payment

N.J. Senate Pres. Stephen Sweeney has a plan that will bring immediate savings to the state and could save a projected $1 billion annually within seven years.

All he’s asking is that public employees start paying significantly more for their health benefits. No biggie.

Sweeney is expected to propose the idea today, which would require all public employees to pay a percentage of their premium instead of the current system in which they pay at least 1.5 percent of their salary. Increases would be phased in over the next seven years, and would be based on salary, NJ.com reports.

After full implementation in seven years, workers would pay between 12 and 30 percent of their premiums — anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000 annually.

Public health employee benefits cost taxpayers $4 billion last year.