K-12: The Senate K-12 school aid budget on
Wednesday moved a bit closer to matching the Administration’s recommendation
after it adopted an amendment that would allocate Michigan Public School
Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) payments to districts the way the Governor
intended, rather than repealing that provision the way the Senate had first
proposed.
The
Governor's February budget recommendation continued the $155 million
appropriation into fiscal year 2013-14, but the Senate budget as it left the
Subcommittee and full Appropriations Committee repealed that provision and
instead used $132 million of the funding to provide a $50 increase in the basic
and a $100 increase in the minimum foundation allowance, bringing the minimum
up from $6,966 to $7,066.
Sen.
Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton Township) introduced an amendment in the full Senate
Appropriations Committee to essentially undo the Senate's idea and return that
portion of the budget (SB
182) back to the way the Governor had proposed it and
the House supported.
The
provision was one of the biggest points of difference between the Senate and
the House budgets, but now is no longer. The amendment won on a 20-15 vote with
Democrats aiding in that passage. It was not clear which Republicans had voted
in favor of the amendment because it was not a roll call vote.
After
16 proposed amendments, SB 182 was passed by the Senate on a 21-15 vote.
Education:
The budget for the Department of Education (SB
196) saw no changes from how it left a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.
The bill passed 24-12 with Sen. Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights) voting with
Democrats in opposition to the bill.
Military & Veteran Affairs:
Sen. Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield) won the support of half of the Republican
caucus to include his amendment that would require all complaints of abuse or
neglect at either the Grand Rapids or the D.J. Jacobetti veterans homes to be
referred to the director of nursing within 10 days. Further, on a monthly basis, that person
would report those complaints to the director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs
Agency, the House and Senate fiscal agencies, and members of both chambers'
appropriations subcommittees. SB
187 was passed by the Senate 33-3
with Sen. Morris Hood III (D-Detroit), Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) and Sen.
Coleman Young (D-Detroit) voting in opposition.
State Police:
As expected, SB
185 saw little debate. The Senate budget did not include $4 million General
Fund, one-time money proposed by the governor for a disaster and emergency
response contingency fund because it is expected to be accounted for in
separate legislation introduced on Wednesday (SB 330). The budget passed 33-3 with Sen. Rebekah
Warren (D-Ann Arbor), Sen. Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) and Sen. Morris Hood
(D-Detroit) voting in opposition and Sen. Bruce Caswell (R-Hillsdale) absent
from session.
Natural Resources:
The Senate version of the DNR budget as proposed includes about $11.3 million
additional funding reflecting the increase of hunting and fishing license fees.
Revenue from the fees would replace appropriation authority for another part of
the budget, as well as support three new grant programs for game and fishing
habitats. It also includes $2.7 million for off-road vehicle license fees. The budget (SB
188) passed 26-10 along party lines except for Sen.
Morris Hood III (D-Detroit) voting in favor of the bill and Sen. Bruce Caswell
(R-Hillsdale) absent from session.
Agriculture & Rural Development: The Senate budget added $150,000 General Fund and one worker
for an economic development specialist targeting the Upper Peninsula. It also
included $1.7 million General Fund to provide for start-up costs for forestry
affidavit program in two Senate bills, as well as $100,000
General Fund to conduct a survey and registration of existing agriculture
drains, and $200,000 General Fund for a study to help determine why some wells
in Ottawa County are drawing salt water.
The bill was reported 32-4, with Sen. Morris Hood III (D-Detroit), Sen.
Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), Sen. Coleman Young (D-Detroit) and Sen. Bert
Johnson (D-Highland Park) voting in opposition.
Environmental Quality: The Senate budget is $1.5 million
gross under the governor's recommendation due to the Senate subcommittee not
including hazardous waste management fee increases proposed by Governor Snyder. The final budget (SB
195) passed 29-7 with Sen. Glenn Anderson (D-Westland),
Sen. Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield), Senate Democratic Floor Leader Tupac
Hunter (D-Detroit), and Senator Hopgood (D-Taylor) voting in favor of the bill
with Senate Republicans.
Higher
Education: Senate
Democrats once again attempted to remove the School Aid Fund money in the
higher education budget (SB
193). Senator Morris Hood III (D- Detroit) proposed an amendment to the
higher education budget that would remove the School Aid
Fund money and instead appropriate General Fund dollars. Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker
(R-Lawton), chair of the Senate Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee,
opposed the amendment, saying such an amendment would blow a major hole in the
budget - $200 million to be exact - and opposed its adoption. Sen. Tory Rocca
(R-Sterling Heights), Sen. Goeff Hansen (R-Hart), Sen. Mike Green (R-Mayville)
and Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) joined Democrats to support the amendment,
but it was not enough for adoption. In
all, the budget was passed 21-15 with Mr. Hansen, Mr. Jones, Mr. Rocca and Sen.
Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek) joining Democrats in opposition.
Community Colleges:
Sen. Glenn Anderson (D-Westland) introduced the amendment to remove any School
Aid Fund from the budget (SB
199), but it was defeated despite support from some
Republican colleagues (Sen. Jack Brandenburg of Harrison Township, Mr. Colbeck,
Mr. Green, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Jones and Mr. Rocca). The Senate budget includes $1.1 million to
support the Michigan Virtual Learning Collaborative recommended by Governor
Rick Snyder and is largely similar to what Mr. Snyder had proposed in his
February budget recommendations.
It
passed 21-15 with all Democrats and Mr. Colbeck, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Jones and Mr.
Rocca in opposition. Sen. Bruce Caswell (R-Hillsdale) was absent from session.
The
Senate completed work on the following budget bills this week: Corrections,
General Government, DHS, Insurance and Financial Services, Judiciary,
Transportation and Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. They are scheduled for full Senate action
next week.