Republicans Vote Against School Kids Once Again

From the Michigan Senate Democratic Caucus
Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Lansing – Senate Democrats today blasted Republicans for playing politics with Michigan’s public education by again voting to slash funding for K-12 schools while forcing districts to play by Republican rules if they want access to additional money to help offset cuts.

“It’s appalling that Republicans are still passing the largest cut to public education since Proposal A was created while there’s money available to prevent that from happening,” said Senator Glenn S. Anderson. “Instead of investing in our children, we’re taking from them, all to pay for a corporate tax break that will only further line the pockets of CEOs.”

Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer added that Republicans had gone back on their word to use the additional revenues announced recently to offset per-pupil cuts to education, instead adopting a complicated system of winners and losers that will replace local control over cost saving measures with mandated policies from Lansing that could impact the quality of education given to our school kids.

“Apparently Republicans don’t understand the value of educating our children,” said Whitmer. “They’ve had several opportunities now to stop these cuts from happening and instead chose to blindly follow their party leadership at the expense of our school kids.”

Democrats made several statements on the floor encouraging Republicans to vote against “immediate effect” on the bill which would prevent it from taking effect in time for the next fiscal year. The bill was given immediate effect on a straight party line vote.