The latest from Lansing 2/15/2012

Senate passes election reform bills

Posted on 02/15/12 at 3:11pm

Yesterday, the Senate passed 11 Republican-sponsored election reform bills that impact voting.
Two of the bills--HB 5085 and 5086--are anti-union bills that prevent a public employer from automatically deducting PAC contributions from an employee’s paycheck.
The bills put into law a 2010 state Supreme Court ruling on the issue. In MEA v. Secretary of State Terry Lynn Land, the Court ruled that public school districts cannot administer payroll deduction plans that send money to a political action fund.

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Snyder's education budget--an increase or a cut?

Posted on 02/15/12 at 3:18pm

Gov. Snyder promoted his 2013 budget proposal for K-12 funding as a boost to education, but information from the House Fiscal Agency shows something different. The "boost" is only a mere .2 percent from 2012 funding levels. And for 2014, schools will see a .7 percent decrease.

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