The news from Lansing yesterday - Thursday, November 5th.
An appropriations bill was passed by the House that would allow cuts to K-12 schools to be lessened. The bill would use federal stimulus money to give back all but $10 of the $127 per student cut previously ordered by Governor Granholm. The bill also restores $800,000 for school bus inspections.
The bill also contained an amendment that would PARTIALLY restore $52 million for “high-spending school districts” – the 20J funds - that were eliminated by Gov. Granholm with her line item veto of the 20 J funds. HERE’S the CAVEAT to the return of the 20J funds in the House’s bill ---- half of the resotoration of the $52 million would be given to the “high-spending districts” and the the other half would go to the state's lowest-spending districts.
Another problem - the money to restore the $52 million would come from the “Michigan Future Fund”, a pot which does not yet have a revenue source. This is a problem for the Republicans in the Senate who are ALSO opposed to using the stimulus money set aside for next year. Matt Marsden, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester was quoted as saying, "The House has $100 million in revenue in the Earned Income Tax Credit freeze bill that Democrats refused to use.”
As you can see, the disagreements between the two parties continues and threatens to abort any attempt to restore at least some of the funds that Walled Lake has lost.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE write or call Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop’s office; PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE write or call our local senator’s office, Nancy Cassis. Emails and phone numbers can be found below!
Your voices make a difference no matter which avenue you choose to follow!
(Please remember to use your home email account!)
Senator Michael Bishop, Senate Majority Leader
mailto:SenMBishop@senate.michigan.gov
517-373-2417
Senator Nancy Cassis - Senator for our school district
SenNCassis@senate.michigan.gov
517-373-1758
MEA
About Me
- Tfitzjake
- I wrote this introduction 6 years ago, and it is even more important today than ever. The voices of educational employees need to be heard above the roar of public school attacks in this country. We are on the front line; we are highly educated and trained professionals. Why are we being ignored? I am an educator. I was the president of the Walled Lake Education Association for over 6 years, and before that, the treasurer for 8 years. I have been on the bargaining team for 15 years. I am now the MEA UniServ Director for 7K and parts of IJ. I want our voice to be heard! Today's educational climate requires that we all stay informed regarding the issues affecting our chosen profession!