LANSING, MI (WHTC) – State lawmakers are heading back to their home districts for the weekend after a busy week of work at the Capitol.
Governor Snyder apparently has plenty of work to do in order to sell his planned reform of Detroit Public Schools. A total of 18 schools were closed yesterday due to Detroit Federation of Teachers members rallying at the state Capitol in opposition to the two-district plan, saying that classroom size should be addressed first. Some legislative leaders weren’t happy about a proposed 72 million-dollar annual state payout that was in the plan. Mr. Snyder wants all things in place by next July.
State House leaders are slowing down on considering a no-fault insurance reform package that had breezed through the Senate and the House Insurance Committee in about two weeks. Speaker Kevin Cotter wants to take more time looking at the plan that would cap medical reimbursements for catastrophic injury victims. Reform opponents continue to mobilize legislative and public support for maintaining the unlimited coverage. A vote on the matter in the House could come next week.
Officials with the Michigan Department of Education admit some kinks in the new statewide assessment test program that began last month. Deputy State Superintendent Vanessa Keesler told House Education Committee members that only 63 percent of students have been able to complete the M-STEP exam in the 90 alloted minutes, with 17 percent needing two hours, but all that may be due to the harder nature of the new test as compared to the old MEAP exam.
The state House Oversight Committee has begun hearings into two bills that would give state legislative committees subpoena power for records of local governmental and educational entities. Currently, lawmakers can only ask for material from state departments, boards and agencies. Sponsor Ed McBroom of the Upper Peninsula community of Vulcan says that oversight of taxpayer dollars at all levels is part of state lawmakers’ duties. Local government groups are opposed to this legislation.
