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 MI
Interest Groups to Talk Tax Increases; Protest Planned
MI
Straus, Gire, Curtin Head Education Board
MI
House Committee Meeting Schedule for 2003
from Gongwer News
Service, January 23, 2003
For more articles visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
Interest Groups to Talk Tax Increases; Protest Planned
A new coalition of interest groups that will likely advocate a
tax increase to avert massive budget cuts will meet for the
first time Friday, and the controversial nature of their
proposals already is drawing protest.
The Red Cedar Coalition, headed by the Michigan Education
Association, is exploring revenue-enhancing alternatives to
budget cuts to close an estimated $1.62 billion shortfall for
2003-04. Other groups have been invited and are expected to
attend with officials from the Presidents Council State
Universities of Michigan and the Michigan League for Human
Services saying they also back looking at taxes as a way to
solve the budget problem.
But a group of conservative lawmakers, calling themselves the
Taxpayer Protection Caucus, already is gearing up to block any
effort raise taxes or increase revenue. Rep. Leon Drolet
(R-Clinton Township), chair of this group, said Thursday that
he and others would protest the group's meeting, which is
taking place Monday morning at the Kellogg Hotel and
Conference Center in East Lansing.
Local government groups also have been invited, but an
official with the one group planning to attend indicated
wariness at a tax increase.
Sharon Parks of the Michigan League for Human Services said
the groups will discuss a number of possible ways to increase
revenue, including extending the sales tax to cover services
now exempt from the levy. Other possibilities are blocking the
0.1 percent income tax cut scheduled for 2004, severing the
state's link to the federal estate tax (its elimination is
reducing state revenue) or increasing beer/wine taxes.
"We're really just interested in a range of things that might
yield revenue," she said. "At some point, you cut enough and
it trickles down to where it affects people's lives."
The state's public universities, who stand to lose significant
state aid because of the $1.24 billion general fund shortfall,
also will participate in the meeting. Mike Boulus, executive
director of the Presidents Council of State Universities of
Michigan, said the state cannot cut its way out of the budget
problem. Mr. Boulus called an extension of the sales tax to
services "a good idea."
These groups will face a monumental task in making any tax
increase reality: a Republican Legislature where broad tax
increases are anathema and a Democratic governor in Jennifer
Granholm who does not want to raise taxes.
Mr. Drolet, who will be joined by Reps. Jack Brandenburg
(R-Harrison Township) and Matt Milosch (R-Lambertville) among
other residents, said he and others want to protest to send a
message about the danger of tax increases.
Mr. Drolet characterized the Red Cedar group's logic as:
residents have to tighten their belts and fork over more
revenue to the government so interest groups don't have do the
same. Mr. Drolet said the argument on the sales tax extension
to services presumes that government has a right to all taxes
on sales when the burden should be on government why it can
tax sales at all.
"Their plans to increase taxes on citizens and families is not
acceptable-and we want to make sure that message gets out," he
said.
Another group invited to attend is taking a wait-and-see
approach. Jerry Griffin of the Michigan Association of
Counties said his group has not committed to anything, but
will attend since it was invited.
"We're not going to turn down a meeting with anyone," he said.
"We're going to attend, hear what they've got to say. We won't
commit to anything tomorrow."
Straus, Gire, Curtin
Head Education Board
With Democrats taking a larger hold on the State Board of
Education for the next two years, they have maintained the top
leadership giving Kathleen Straus (D-Detroit) another term as
president and Sharon Gire (D-Clinton Township) another as vice
president.
The election gives Ms. Straus, at the end of her term, a total
of eight years as chair of the board.
In keeping with last session, the board elected Carolyn Curtin
(R-Evart) as secretary to represent the minority party on the
executive board that sets the board's agenda.
The board also elected new board member Elizabeth Bauer
(D-Birmingham) as treasurer.
SCHOOL FUNDING: The board started out this term with an
exploration of school finance. Following presentation to the
board of a report from the School Finance Initiative Task
Force, members discussed further work toward a recommendation
to the Legislature on improving funding for public schools.
Based on comments received at various forums it sponsored, the
task force recommended the board look first at changes to
school infrastructure financing. Though estimates have been
made on the building needs in the state, some into the tens of
billions of dollars, the task force recommended that the board
conduct a comprehensive study of the current building stock
and the need for new construction.
"The overall condition of Michigan's public school
infrastructure has not been closely and systematically
assessed in recent years," the report said. "However, various
limited surveys and anecdotal observations indicate
substantial need."
The task force also noted that Michigan is one of only eight
states that provide no state assistance for school
infrastructure projects. Michigan's sole means of assistance
is the School Bond Loan Fund, which allows schools to sell
bonds through the state at a lower interest rate than they
might individually.
The report showed that of the states providing assistance, 28
provided an equalized grant similar to the per-pupil funding
Michigan provides for operating funds, while 13 others
provided a categorical for infrastructure funding.
"In view of the enormous disparities across Michigan's 555
local school districts in property wealth per pupil, the
ability of our public schools to fund school facilities is
extremely uneven," the report said. "As a result, the improved
equality of resources for school operations brought about by
the 1994 reforms stands in stark contrast to the uneven
quality of public school infrastructure across our local
communities."
It noted that attendees at the task force forums generally
supported the reforms under Proposal A of 1994 that
implemented the per-pupil grant.
MI House Committee
Meeting Schedule for 2003
Regular meeting locations and times for House committees for
the 2003-04 session are as follows:
Tuesdays
Judiciary (Chr. Howell), Room 308 HOB, 9 a.m.
Local Government and Urban Policy (Chr. Ward), Room 307 HOB, 9
a.m.
Regulatory Reform (Chr. Rocca), Room 326 HOB, 9 a.m.
Agriculture and Resource Management (Chr. Meyer), Room 327
HOB, 10:30 a.m.
Commerce (Chr. Bisbee), Room 519 HOB, 10:30 a.m.
Health Policy (Chr. Ehardt), Room 521 HOB, 10:30 a.m.
Education (Chr. Palmer), Room 307 HOB, 2 p.m./after session
Government Operations (Chr. Koetje), Room 326 HOB, 2
p.m./after session
Wednesdays
Energy and Technology (Chr. Bradstreet), Room 519 HOB, 9 a.m.
Tax Policy (Chr. Wenke), Room 326 HOB, 9 a.m.
Criminal Justice (Chr. Van Regenmorter), Room 327 HOB, 10:30
a.m.
Conservation and Outdoor Recreation (Chr. Tabor), Room 307
HOB, 10:30 a.m.
Insurance (Chr. Julian), Room 308 HOB, 10:30 a.m.
Employment Relations, Training and Safety (Chr. Drolet), Room
327 HOB, 2 p.m./after session
Land Use and Environment (Chr. Ruth Johnson), Room 326 HOB, 2
p.m./after session
Family and Children Services (Chr. Hager), Room 307 HOB, 2
p.m./after session
Thursdays
Higher Education (Chr. Voorhees), Room 326 HOB, 9 a.m.
Senior Health, Security and Retirement (Chr. Woronchak), Room
327 HOB, 9 a.m.
Transportation (Chr. DeRossett), Room 307 HOB, 9 a.m.
Great Lakes and Tourism (Chr. Palsrok), Room 308 HOB, 11
a.m./after session
Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security (Chr. Nofs), Room 327
HOB, 11 a.m./after session
Call of the chair
Appropriations (Chr. Shulman), Room 351 CB
House Television Oversight (Chr. Rick Johnson)
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