Education
Amash shuns presidential talk at town hall, says he irks both Dems, GOP
U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Cascade Twp.) on Monday evening sought to spell out his libertarian beliefs to constituents and show why those views so often put him at odds with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. During an almost two-hour town hall meeting held in a Grand Rapids high school auditorium, Amash fielded […]
Whitmer, El-Sayed to both address 2019 University of Michigan grads
Now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Abdul El-Sayed faced off in last year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, and now they’ll both be giving University of Michigan commencement speeches this spring. As is tradition for sitting governors in their first year, Whitmer will deliver the main U of M address at Michigan Stadium on May 4. Whitmer, who earned […]
Nessel moves to shield lottery revenue for schools
Attorney General Dana Nessel is leading an effort with an amicus brief opposing a U.S. Department of Justice’s opinion that involves all types of bets and wagers in the federal Wire Act’s prohibitions. Nessel said that more than $900 million in annual funding for Michigan schools is at stake. She opposes the Department of Justice’s […]
From preschool to Flint: Michigan budget details you might have missed
A $60.2 billion budget has a lot of nooks and crannies. The Advance has covered Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s overall fiscal year 2020 budget, roads plan, education spending increase, environmental funding, local government spending, GOP criticism, business group’s split reactions and more. But not everything gets initial headlines, like a 35 percent increase to Michigan’s state-funded preschool […]
Whitmer’s budget pitch to reluctant Republicans: Pay now or pay more later
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had a simple message on Tuesday for legislators who questioned the need to raise taxes to improve schools and roads: Pay now or pay more later. “Contrary to political rhetoric that should be behind us, I can tell you this: No one likes to raise taxes,” Whitmer told House and Senate Appropriations […]
Whitmer’s $60B budget axes pension tax, adds new business tax
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s inaugural budget comes with a combination of major increases for roads and schools while aiming to offset tax hikes with targeted cuts. The $60.2 billion proposal for fiscal year 2020 is a 3.2 percent increase from the 2019 budget. Whitmer aims to raise $2.5 billion for roads via a 45-cent gas tax […]
Metro Detroit leaders say Whitmer’s education budget makes the grade
Updated at 12:40 p.m. with comments from the Detroit Federation of Teachers. Southeast Michigan leaders praised Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on the $15.4 billion School Aid Fund portion of her budget presentation, which she formally presented on Tuesday. The School Aid Fund is used to support K-12 public schools. Whitmer’s fiscal year 2020 budget will […]
Michigan 2020 budget cheat sheet: What to know before Whitmer’s presentation
Before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer embarked on the Hamtramck Paczki Run on Saturday, she took a minute to address her next big challenge: presenting her first budget on Tuesday. “I will be introducing it and I will have my budget director [Chris Kolb] with me,” she told the Advance. “He’ll do part of it and I’ll […]
Report: School funding and clean water top Michiganders’ concerns
Ryan Jackson will be watching what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposes in her first budget on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Detroit resident says that Michigan’s crumbling roads are a big problem for her. “I travel to work every day and that is a pain,” she told the Advance. “It’s always the anxiety of: Am I going to […]
Unions cheer Whitmer’s proposed school funding boost
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposal to increase education funding in the fiscal year 2020 budget makes for a “strong initial step,” education unions said today. A memo obtained by the Advance that outlines her education proposal ahead of her Tuesday budget presentation shows the Democratic governor will seek to increase education funding in Michigan by $507 […]
‘Sanctuary cities,’ lobbyist ‘revolving door’ among 400+ new bills in Michigan Legislature
Just two months into their term, members of the 100th Michigan Legislature have already introduced more than 400 bills, including those that seek to end the legislator-to-lobbyist “revolving door” and ban “sanctuary cities.” Almost 400 bills passed during last year’s Lame Duck action after the 2018 election — which is why it’s no surprise that […]
On this day in 1809: Education act drafted
James Witherell, a member of the Territorial Supreme Court, authored an education act on this day in 1809, according to the Historical Society of Michigan. His effort ultimately helped to establish a compulsory education system for the young territory. Witherell was born in Mansfield, Mass., in 1759. He served in the Continental Army from 1775 […]