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Florida Governor Rick Scott's proposal to have most public employees contribute 5% of their salary to the state retirement system passed through a House committee. The bill would also raise the retirement age for firefighters, police and others up to 60 years old. The plan is estimated to save around $720 million a year. The unions say that they agreed to lower salaries for years in return for not having to pay into the retirement system, and that the plan will basically constitute a pay cut for most workers. A similar plan in the Senate would have employees pay between 2-4% if they made more than $40,000 a year, which most Florida public sector employees do not. Supporters of the bill say it is necessary to balance the budget.