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 Speaker
Backs Subpoena Power for All ISDs
Gongwer News Service, June 30, 2004
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A special House
committee that currently has the power to subpoena witnesses
related to investigating the Oakland Intermediate School
District may be given subpoena power for all ISDs.
The House Education Intermediate School District Review
Subcommittee has for the past year been investigating
controversy surrounding misspent funds at the Oakland ISD. It
was given subpoena power in October after Rep. Ruth Johnson
(R-Holly) complained that Oakland ISD officials were slow to
respond to her requests for information.
In announcing his support for expanding subpoena power to all 57
ISDs, House Speaker Rick Johnson (R-LeRoy) ripped the districts
Wednesday, accusing them of misspending taxpayer funds and
stonewalling legislative efforts to get answers. Ms. Johnson
said the Genesee, Iosco, Kent and Macomb ISDs have been slow to
respond to her requests for them to testify and provide
information.
"These people are afraid to come in and testify," Mr. Johnson
told reporters. "Why on God's green Earth are they so afraid to
let this information out. ... They're all about covering things
up."
Mr. Johnson accused public education associations, including the
Michigan Association of School Administrators and Michigan
Association of School Boards, of "lying" by mischaracterizing
his now defunct proposal to allow voters in four counties to
dissolve their ISDs and instead have the local school districts
run programs now run by ISDs.
Mr. Johnson said the House would vote Tuesday on a resolution
expanding the committee's subpoena powers. It will require a
majority of those present for adoption.
Don Wotruba of the school boards association said the four ISDs
that Ms. Johnson criticized for not responding to her requests
for testimony have had her request for just one week and have
every intention of finding time to appear before her. He also
refuted Mr. Johnson's allegations of lying about his ISD
proposal, saying his letter only reasonably extrapolated that
the House might later let voters in all ISDs vote on whether to
dissolve their ISD.
Mr. Wotruba called subpoena power unnecessary, even for the
Oakland schools.
"There's no reason to do subpoena power on ISDs," he said.
"Typically, subpoena power is used when people refuse to do
something."
One of the Democrats on the ISD panel ripped House Republicans
for moving toward giving the committee wide-ranging subpoena
power for all districts. Rep. Andy Meisner of Ferndale called
the effort a "smear campaign" orchestrated by Republicans and
Republican Party Chair Betsy DeVos to demonize the public school
structure.
Mr. Meisner said ISDs enable teachers to find best practices in
special education and to be efficient with equipment instead of
having every district buy its own.
"(It) is extreme, inappropriate and would do incredible harm not
only to the special education students across Michigan, but also
to the vocational education programs offered by the intermediate
school districts," he said.
Lead Commission Gets OK From Senate Panel
Gongwer News Service, June 30, 2004
A lead poisoning prevention commission would be created by the
governor under a bill reported by the Senate Families and Human
Services Committee Wednesday.
HB 5118, which is part of a package of bills (HB 5116, HB 5117,
HB 5119) aimed at dealing with the state's lead poisoning
problem, would require the commission study the threat and
impact of lead poisoning on children, take blood tests of all
Medicaid children, hold public hearings, work on prevention and
education programs, and annually report progress to the governor
and Legislature. The legislation also is a companion bill to SB
0753.
There is a range of potential commission members, including
representatives from various medical, environmental, and
development associations, parents of children with lead
poisoning, a local housing authority, and community reinvestment
officer. Members would not be compensated for their time on the
commission, which would sunset in 2007.
Little testimony was taken on the issue, with the Department of
Community Health, the Michigan Association of Health Plans, and
the city of Grand Rapids also supporting the legislation.
Adrian Training School to Become Female Facility
Gongwer News Service, June 30, 2004
The Adrian Training School, which for decades has housed
delinquent youth, will be converted into a juvenile justice
facility for girls. Department of Human Services Director Marianne
Udow said Wednesday the conversion will best meet the needs of
single-gender juvenile justice programming for girls in the
system.
The decision should end questions about the future of the
school, Ms. Udow said, and is based on current trends and
demographics in juvenile justice.
The FIA will start restricting new placements at Adrian to
girls, Ms. Udow said. Boys still at the facility will be able to
complete their programs, and if continued treatment and
counseling is needed then the state will look at placing them
into other public or private counseling.
In a separate move, because of continued increases in the number
of boys into the juvenile justice system, the state will not
close the Sequoyah Center at the Maxey Training School near
Howell. To meet budgetary restrictions for the school, hiring
freezes will be implemented and building renovations will be
limited.
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