LANSING – State Representative Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) today blasted House Republicans for blocking legislation that would restore $270 million in current school funding to help ease the deep cuts to education proposed in the Governor’s budget. These cuts could seriously impact Michigan’s ability to prepare children for future jobs.
“We need to restore education funding now instead of using it to finance Governor Snyder’s massive business tax cut next year,” said Dillon, sponsor of the plan. “There is more than enough money in the balance sheet at the end of the fiscal year to restore these cuts that have hampered our students for the past two years; cuts which would never have passed had lawmakers expected such a surplus. An overwhelming majority of Michigan’s residents know that this vital school funding should go toward our children’s education, not to subsidize tax cuts for corporations. It’s too bad House Republicans don’t agree.”
Dillon’s plan would restore a previous $270 million cut by using a surplus in the School Aid Fund due to increased state revenue and savings in the current year’s budget. It is estimated that there will be a balance of $507 million in the School Aid Fund at the end of the current fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency.