LANSING — Tonight, Gov. Rick Snyder gave his final State of the State address. In response, state Rep. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) issued the following statement:
“We heard a lot of talk tonight about the progress Michigan has made under the current administration, but we are clearly lacking when it comes to our education system, and attracting and retaining jobs. A new study was just published showing that Michigan schools are underfunded by up to $2,000 per pupil, which means we’re falling behind when it comes to educating tomorrow’s workforce and nurturing their talent. And one of the things that lures young talent to one state over another is a quality education system. If we can’t fully fund our schools, we can’t produce talented or attract workers, and companies will continue to seek other states to do business. I sincerely hope the governor and my colleagues in the Legislature recognize this crisis and join with House Democrats to fix it by showing that education is a priority through funding it properly. Education is a jobs issue and is a broader economic issue.”