Lansing, MI (July 2, 2014) – Former Rep. Matt Gillard (D-Alpena), who once chaired the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, told the MIRS Monday Podcast this week that Gov. Rick Snyder didn’t cut education by $1 billion as claimed by his Democratic opponents.
“I think this is politics and this is an election year,” Gillard said, who’s now the president of Michigan’s Children.
Gillard contends both sides can successfully argue the point: Democrats, that overall education funding declined; and Snyder, that state spending on education increased.
“I would agree with Gov. Snyder that state funding support for K-12 education has gone up under his watch and he’s correct in that,” Gillard said. “I think overall funding for education has gone down, but there’s a federal component to that.”
Pressed over whether the decline in overall education could be blamed on the incumbent, Gillard said no.
“I think that the Democrats will have a hard time if that’s their sole argument,” Gillard said of the education funding debate. “In my opinion, no, Gov. Snyder is not to blame for the decline in education spending.”
Gillard served in the Michigan House from 2003 through 2008.
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~Article in MIRS (Michigan Information and Research Service)