(Lansing, MI)  --  A plan to encourage tens of thousands of state employees to retire has passed the state Senate.  Governor Granholm wants the measure passed in an effort to save the state hundreds of millions of dollars and restructure state government.  However, its fate in the Democratically-controlled state House is still unclear.  It passed the Senate with Republican support, with just one Democrat voting for it.  The bill encourages state and school workers with 30 or more years on the job to retire by making them contribute three percent of their salary toward retirement benefits starting in October. 

-Metro Source