LANSING, Mich. — While national lawmakers debate what's being called the "Big Beautiful Bill," Michigan legislators are considering their own education funding plan with significant impacts for universities and K-12 schools.
• The House GOP proposal would cut Michigan State University's state aid by almost 19%.
• K-12 schools could see funding increases to nearly $12,000 per student.
• Districts would need to hire school resource officers and mental health staff to receive full funding.
WATCH: Michigan lawmakers debate controversial school funding proposal
The proposal, dubbed the "Small Beautiful Bill" by School Aid Chair Rep. Tim Kelly, is drawing mixed reactions across the state.
"This small beautiful bill may be imperfect to some but it shines a light like a north star to have others following our lead," Kelly said.
One of the most controversial aspects of the bill emerged during Wednesday's committee meeting, where GOP lawmakers revealed plans to cut Michigan State University's state aid by almost 19%. Lawmakers cited the university's large endowment as justification, but also mentioned the school's "woke" policies.
"We're making cuts to the woke universities and giving it to the non-woke universities or the less woke universities," GOP Rep. Maddock said.
Michigan State University responded to the proposal with concern, stating: "A budget reduction of the scale proposed by the House would hinder our ability to deliver the high-quality, affordable education that Michigan students expect and deserve."
The bill also proposes increasing K-12 school funding to nearly $12,000 per student that districts can use for their needs, but with strings attached. To receive the majority of this per-student funding, schools would need to hire at least one school resource officer and one mental health support staff.
This requirement could significantly impact districts like Lansing, which currently does not have school resource officers. District leaders declined to comment on the pending legislation.
Democratic State Senator Darrin Camilleri, chair of the K-12 education budget committee, expressed opposition to the bill in its current form.
When asked if he would vote to pass the House GOP proposal, Camilleri was direct: "No. I mean this isn't something we are willing to consider."
Camilleri suggested the House should review both the Governor's proposal and Senate-passed budget as starting points for negotiation. With the July 1 deadline for school budgets approaching, time is running short.
The House and Senate will need to reach agreement on a single budget for it to become law. Camilleri said he expects to meet with Rep. Kelly to discuss the proposal further.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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