Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel
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Michigan Federation of Teachers & School Related Personnel
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Capitol Report Archives Go to current Capitol Report for links to complete archive. February, 2004 January, 2004 2003-04 Voting Records 2003 2002 2001 2000 |
Lobby Day New Format Senate Appropriates Committee Moves K-12 School Bill Higher Education Budget Varies from Governor's Proposal Tuition Cap Kept in Community Colleges Budget Teacher Suspension Bill Awaiting Governor's Signature House Passes Portions of ISD Bill Package Theology Program Grants Sex Education Bills School Bomb Threats Epinephrine Auto-injectors or Inhalers In Schools may be found on the Legislative Hotline page of this website.  Return to Top Lobby Day New Format - BIG HIT We would like to thank our members for attending Lobby Day 2004. It was huge success because of you. We had 198 members representing 35 locals and 101 legislators registered to attend this year. This year's legislative panel of Senators Irma Clark-Coleman, Ron Jelinek, Wayne Kuipers, and Mickey Switalski was moderated by Tim Skubick from "Off the Record," a weekly political talk-show on WKAR in East Lansing since 1972. After a highly inspirational presentation by State Representative Mike Pumford (R-Newaygo), State Representative Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor), and MFT&SRP President, David Hecker, over $1,400 was collected from those present for the MFT&SRP PAC Fund. We appreciate your generosity and please know this money will be well spent to support legislators who assist our efforts to improve education in Michigan. We appreciate the comments made on the evaluation forms. There were many good ideas which we will try to incorporate in next year's program. Return to Top Senate Appropriations Committee Moves K-12 School Aid Bill The Senate-proposed K-12 School Aid bill for Fiscal Year 2005 is $6.8 million more than the governor's recommendation. The $12.5 billion budget (1 percent more than 2003-04) maintains per pupil foundation grant at current year levels (before proration). Senate Bill 1069 (Johnson, R-Royal Oak) restores some of Governor- proposed cuts and cuts some programs the Governor held at current levels. Among the significant changes made to Senate Bill 1069 were:
Return to Top Higher Education Budget Varies from Governor's Proposal The Senate's version of the FY 2005 Higher Education budget contains a $1.7 billion spending plan, of which $1.6 billion is General Fund, is $66.6 million higher in both gross and General Fund spending than the governor's proposal. Senate Bill 1067 (Johnson, R-Royal Oak) differs from the Governor's proposal on the following items:
Return to Top Tuition Cap Kept in Community Colleges Budget The Senate's proposal for the 2004 - 2005 Community College budget, Senate Bill 1062 (Johnson, R-Royal Oak), includes gross spending at $285.7 million, the same as the governor recommended, all of which is from the General Fund. About $263 million is appropriated for community college operations, and another $17 million is included for the governor's tuition restraint incentive proposal. Under the governor's proposal, a college that pledges not to increase tuition and fees for the remainder of this academic year and not increase 2004-2005 tuition and fees above the rate of inflation will receive tuition restraint incentive funds. The committee did modify the governor's proposal by limiting tuition restraint to just in-district tuition and adding language to specify that, if a community college complies with tuition restrain requirements, its state appropriation will not be reduced by executive order or any other means during the 2004-2005 fiscal year. The committee also restored language that prohibits the use of state appropriations for health insurance that includes abortion services for college employees and language that prohibits the use of state funds to provide benefits to unmarried partners of college employees. The Senate added a provision that the state review the conditions and expenditures made by universities over the last five years on the housing provided the students and presidents of the institutions. Action is expected on Senate Bill 1062 is expected on the Senate floor this week, with House Appropriation Committee action in April and May. Return to Top Teacher Suspension Bill Awaiting Governor's Signature House Bill 5476 (Rep. DeRoche, R-Novi ) permits the Superintendent of Public Instruction to suspend a teacher's certificate or State Board approval based on a conviction that occurred before the bill's effective date. If he or she finds that the conviction demonstrated that the person is unfit to teach in, or is reasonably and adversely related to the person's present fitness to serve in a public school. The bill also:
Through diligent lobbying by the MFT&SRP and the Michigan Department of Education, House Bill 5476 was extensively amended prior to passage by the Senate to narrow the field of felonies from any to certain crimes listed in current law with the addition of internet crimes, and the inclusion of fitness to teach language. We were also successful in amending the bill so that the superintendent of public instruction shall not take action against a person's teaching certificate solely because of a conviction that occurred before the effective date of this bill, unless the superintendent of public instruction finds that the conviction is reasonably and adversely related to the person's present fitness to serve in an elementary or secondary school in this state. Return to Top House Passes Portions of ISD Bill Package The House passed version of House Bill 4338 (H-7) (Johnson, R-Holly) now contains the following provisions:
Return to Top Theology Program Grants A package of bills passed by the Senate, including Senate Bill 625 (Cassis, R-Novi),Senate Bill 626 (Van Woerkom, R-Muskegon), Senate Bill 627 (Allen, R-Traverse City), Senate Bill 628 (Clark- Coleman, D-Detroit), Senate Bill 629 (Kuipers, R-Holland), Senate Bill 661 (Allen, R-Traverse City) and Senate Bill 662 (Allen, R-Traverse City), would permit the State to award Part-time Independent Student Grants, State Competitive Scholarships, Legislative Merit Award Program, Michigan Educational Opportunity Grant Program, Higher Education Tuition Grants, and Tuition Differential Grants to allow students in theology or divinity programs to receive state grant money. Under current law, students studying theology and religion are ineligible for state financial aid. These bills would cost the state more money because the existing pot of funds for scholarships would remain the same. That would translate into smaller scholarships and grants should more students win aid, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. The bills have passed the Senate and are on their second reading in before the full House. The Michigan Federation of Teachers opposes these bills because they permit the public funding of religious training which is contrary to Article I, Section 4 of Michigan's Constitution. Return to Top Sex Education Bills Senate Bill 943 (Kuipers, R-Holland) would require that public school instruction on HIV, AIDS, and sex education emphasize abstinence, respect for marriage, personal responsibility, adoption, and other content. The bill also would prescribe the membership, terms, and responsibilities of each district's "health education advisory board." Senate Bill 944 (Kuipers, R-Holland) would include instruction under Senate Bill 943 in provisions that require a district to forfeit 5% of its State aid if it fails to comply with requirements for sex education instruction. Senate Bill 944 also would provide for a complaint process for those who believed a district was not complying with sex education requirements under the Act or the Revised School Code, including Senate Bill 943. This bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 943. Major issues in these bills are:
The exact same bills (House Bills 5477 and 5478) have been introduced in the House and are sitting on the House floor. We have been advised that the house bills will be held up until negotiations can take place on the senate bills, however, they could be voted on at any time. Return to Top School Bomb Threats House Bill 5280 (Ward, R-Brighton) would prohibit a public or nonpublic school official from requiring a school employee to remain in or to search a school in the event the school was closed or vacated due to a bomb threat, unless the governing body that operated the school had ensured that the employee had received appropriate training approved by the appropriate law enforcement agency dealing with bomb threats. This bill has passed the House and Senate and has been ordered enrolled. The Michigan Federation of Teachers and School Related Personnel supports this bill. Return to Top Epinephrine Auto-injectors or Inhalers In Schools House Bill 5087 (Shulman, R-West Bloomfield) would permit students in public or nonpublic schools to possess and use an epinephrine auto-injector or epinephrine inhaler to treat anaphylaxis at school, on school-sponsored transportation, and at school-sponsored events. It also requires schools to have an emergency care plan for pupils carrying an epinephrine injector or inhaler or an asthma inhaler. Currently, a student may possess and use a metered dose inhaler or dry powder inhaler to treat or prevent asthmatic symptoms, if the student has written approval from his or her physician and, if the student is a minor, from his or her parent or legal guardian. A school district may request a student's parent or guardian to provide an extra inhaler to designated school personnel for use in an emergency. A principal who is aware that a pupil possesses an inhaler must notify each of the student's teachers of that fact. Under House Bill 5087, these provisions also would apply to epinephrine auto-injectors and inhalers. This bill has passed the House and is now on the Senate Floor. The Michigan Federation of Teachers and School Related Personnel supports this bill. bk:opeiu42aflcio Return to Top |
