March 26, 1999

Legislative & Political Week in Review

• Weary lawmakers are heading off for a two-week spring break following their second capitol all-nighter in a week (the session ran until nearly 4 A.M. and included consideration of some 20 amendments). Their efforts yielded a compromise Detroit school takeover plan that, like the original Senate plan, transfers primary responsibility for the city’s troubled schools from the school board to Mayor Dennis Archer. The final House vote on SB 297 (substitute-3) was 86-19—more than the two-thirds majority needed to give the measure immediate effect. Significant modifications made in the House include the following:
  • The seven-member reform board will include Arthur Ellis, the state superintendent of public instruction and staunch Engler ally; the other six, to be appointed by Archer, must be Detroit residents.
  • The reform board is authorized to hire a new school czar but only by a unanimous vote.
  • The current school board will continue to function as an advisory panel until members’ terms expire.
  • The reform bill "sunsets" in five years, when a local referendum will decide whether the reform board will remain in place.
• Although school reform competed mightily for their attention, lawmakers kept their focus on initial passage of agency budgets. The lawmakers were working toward a goal of launching all appropriations bills out of their chamber of origin before recess, and at this writing, they were making good progress.
  • HB 4302 includes $983 million for higher education, of which about $38 million would come from the state General Fund (GF). The bill creates a state-university funding formula under which there are four tiers of per-student allocation.
  • The Department of Community Health budget (HB 4799) totals nearly $7.9 billion ($2.6 billion GF). The biggest issue here is Democrats’ unsuccessful insistence that pending tobacco settlement funds belong in this budget instead of going to fund a new scholarship program proposed by the governor.
  • Spending on the Department of Corrections (HB 4300) climbs by nearly 9 percent, to $1.6 billion ($1.5 billion GF)—a rate of increase double that for higher education.
  • The Department of Education budget (HB 4301) of $983 million ($38 million GF) reflects an anticipated $13 million offset in GF dollars from the yet-to-be-awarded tobacco suit settlement.
  • The judiciary budget (SB 368) recommends spending of $228 million ($162 million GF).
  • A supplemental appropriation (SB 68) will add $347 million ($165 million GF) to the current budget.
  • Department of Environmental Quality spending (SB 364) of $399 million ($96 million GF) was approved.
  • State Police funding (SB 371) totals almost $367 million ($268 million GF), a 5 percent increase over the current year.
  • Military Affairs spending (SB 369) jumps by roughly 10 percent, totaling nearly $95 million ($40 million GF). The increase will fund recruitment programs for the Michigan National Guard and a new program to help direct dropouts back to school and away from crime.
• Michiganian’s driver’s license and voter registration addresses will have to match under a bill passed in the Senate this week. Senate Bill 306 aims to reduce voter fraud, but detractors worry that it could be a problem for dependent college students who wish to cast their vote in the city in which their campus is located instead of returning home.

Roundup will not be published during the legislative recess. Weekly publication will resume on April 16.