press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News from Progress Michigan

March 24, 2016

Contact: Hugh Madden, 734-250-2070, hugh@progressmichigan.org

State Board of Education Takes on Bullies; Michigan Republicans Bully Them For It

Punishing State Board for protecting children shows Republican’s real priorities

LANSING — Yesterday, a House appropriations committee stripped travel and per diem funding from the State Board of Education as a way to punish the board for seeking to protect transgender children. The move comes a month prior to a vote by the State Board of Education on a recommendation to schools to adopt policies to make school more inclusive for transgender students.

“Actions like this are politics at its worst. The legislature should make budget decisions based on what is best for our state – not as a tool to bully other state officials because they disagree with them,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Representative Potvin says he’s sending a message with this vote. That’s true – every lawmaker that voted for this is sending a message loud and clear – that they are bigots and care more about political retribution than protecting children and Michigan taxpayers.”

In 2015, Texas Governor Rick Perry was indicted for abuse of power for threatening to strip funding from a department unless he got a resignation in return.

“If the Republicans in the legislature are using the budget to bully other departments then taxpayers should be concerned,” Scott continued. “This is just the latest example of the Republican led legislature making a Michigan that only works for them and people who think like them, ignoring anyone with differing viewpoints. Michigan’s children deserve better.”

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