Late last week, the Michigan Senate followed the House’s lead and passed bipartisan school funding bills to help meet the needs of Michigan kids.
It was an important move. It’s just a tragedy they even had to act.
Earlier this month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer wielded her veto pen as a weapon against Michigan students. In a brazen and broadside attack against local kids, she senselessly vetoed $87 million in critical COVID-19 relief funding for Michigan schools, and slashed another $10 million earmarked for summer school programs.
If you’re a parent, we don’t have to tell you how desperately our kids need the opportunities the bipartisan school recovery plan would have provided. Locked classrooms, distance learning, bureaucrats fighting to keep classrooms closed, and what experts have identified as a “crisis of despair” have done more than cost our kids a school year – they’ve created deficits that might last a lifetime.
That’s why we fought back against the Governor’s shameful attack on teachers and students, and why we urged lawmakers to fund the programs again.
We’ll never stop fighting for local kids. Even if the individual standing between them and a quality education is the governor of the state of Michigan.
Beth DeShone
Executive Director, Great Lakes Education Project
Center Square Michigan: Lawmakers, Gov. Whitmer in standoff over disbursing COVID-19 funds and revising pandemic powers
“Governor Whitmer’s unfathomable decision to veto COVID relief funding for Michigan schools and summer school programs was a direct attack on local students and families,” Great Lakes Education Project Executive Director Beth DeShone said in a statement released Thursday morning.
GLEP: State House Delivers Message to Whitmer: Vetoing COVID Funding for Schools Hurts Michigan Kids
“Great Lakes Education Project Executive Director Beth DeShone this morning praised members of the state House of Representatives for their bold, bipartisan action last night, moving legislation to restore funding vetoed this week by Governor Gretchen Whitmer that would have provided COVID-19 relief funding to Michigan schools, and given kids opportunities to attend summer school programming this year as they catch up after months locked out of the classroom.”
Governor Whitmer’s unfathomable decision to veto COVID relief funding for Michigan schools and summer school programs was a direct attack on local students and families. Republicans and Democrats in the state House and Senate stood together to put Michigan kids first. GLEP is proud of their commitment to Michigan students, and grateful they’re willing to do what the Governor won’t – focus on the needs of struggling learners.
Members of the state Senate and House of Representatives just took bold, bipartisan action, moving legislation to restore the funding that would have provided COVID-19 relief funding to Michigan schools, and given kids opportunities to attend summer school programming this year as they catch up after months locked out of the classroom. Senate Bills 29 and 114 restore nearly $100 million in critical funding for Michigan students.
It’s time for Whitmer to end her attack on kids and to sign the bills.
It’s time for Governor Whitmer to put students first and to sign the nearly $100 million in COVID relief funding approved for local schools and summer school programming. The Governor needs to hear from you.
You can call her constituent line at 517-335-7858 and ask her to put kids first – ask her to sign SB 29 and 114.