From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 1:56 PM
Subject: What the Governor's Talking about This Week

What the Governor’s Talking about This Week

Friday, November 13, 2009

 

Michigan Senate Recesses without Acting on K-12 Funding

After concluding its Thursday session, the Michigan Senate recessed until Wednesday, November 18.  The chamber took no action regarding restoring cuts in school aid.  House Bill 4860, the House-passed bill that would restore $184 million in school aid cuts using federal Recovery Act funds set aside for fiscal year 2011, remains in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

 

The Senate recess capped a week that saw the governor visit with local school board officials, superintendents, educators and parents in Plymouth and Mason, as well as two Lansing events: a Save Our Schools rally on Tuesday at the State Capitol attended by 1,500 people, and a Thursday action by Macomb County parents and school board members who delivered more than 1,000 letters of concern about school funding to their legislators.

 

Key messages:

 

 

Governor Urges State Senate to Keep the Michigan Promise

In her radio address this week, the governor called on the Michigan Senate to take action and keep the Michigan Promise scholarship, the state’s first universal college scholarship.

 

The higher education budget passed by the legislature for this fiscal year included no money for the Promise scholarships.  Since that time, the Michigan House has approved a bill that could restore funding for the Promise scholarship this academic year.  But that legislation now languishes in the Michigan Senate.

 

Key messages:

 

 

Governor to Visit College Campuses to Stand with Students for Promise Scholarships

The governor also mentioned in her radio address that she will be visiting college campuses across Michigan the next two weeks to stand with students and educators in support of the Michigan Promise scholarships.

 

Her stops will include Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Saginaw Valley State University and Oakland Community College.

 

# # #