Finneran, who is well known for his fiscal constraint, had asked the unions to hold off while further analysis was conducted. Eventually, the Speaker allowed the bill to pass the House and be sent to the Senate, where it was later defeated as the session came to a close. There, Senate President Thomas Birmingham and Ways and Means Chairman Mark Montigny decided to write the same proposal, which passed the House, directly into their budget. Each year, a budget conference committee is established to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget before sending the document to the governor. Any measure passed by one branch, but not the other or that is substantially different in content, is subject to revision or deletion by the six member committee.
Vested teachers do have the option of sticking with the current system.
As of press time in late June, it is unclear as to what action Governor Paul Cellucci will take regarding the retirement proposal once the budget reaches his desk later this month. Many in the state's education establishment have voiced concerns over the ability of local school systems to find qualified replacements for the teachers expected to retire under the new plan. Union officials will be watching closely as the governor weighs his options over the upcoming weeks. All public safety unions are backing this bill. Supporters are now attempting to move this bill via the regular legislative process with the backing of the Public Service Committee.