The Michigan Supreme Court takes a case over reimbursing private schools for some expenses. Governor Whitmer says lawmakers should stay in session and finish a budget. WMU Trustees will set tuition during a Wednesday meeting.
(MPRN) The Michigan Supreme Court will decide whether it’s ever OK under the state constitution for taxpayer dollars to support private schools. The case challenges two state budgets adopted by Republicans. They include provisions that allow private and parochial schools to be reimbursed for some expenses – as long as the money is not directly related to educating students. A provision in the Michigan Constitution says taxpayer dollars can’t go to support private schools. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled earlier the state can pay private schools for some expenses.
(MPRN) The state Legislature won’t hold a session for at least the next two weeks. And Governor Gretchen Whitmer is not happy about it. That’s because the Republican-led Legislature went on break without finalizing the state’s budget. Whitmer presented her proposed budget to the Legislature in March. A spokesman for Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield says the House and Senate committees are resolving differences between the proposed budgets of the two chambers. The budget, or some sort of placeholder bill, needs to be done by October 1st in order to avoid a government shutdown.
(WKAR) A charter school that caters mainly to African-American students in Lansing is shutting down after nearly a quarter century of instruction. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Academy opened in 1995 in honor of its namesake, better known as Malcolm X. Central Michigan University authorized its charter, the legal contract that bound the academy to certain academic standards. In recent years, El-Shabazz consistently produced math and reading assessment scores that were far below the state average. CMU says it’s offered to help the academy’s board transition students to different schools in Lansing. The contract expires June 30.
Western Michigan University trustees will set tuition rates for the coming academic year during a meeting Wednesday. The board’s agenda also includes adopting a general fund budget for the fiscal year that begins July first. The board meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 o’clock Wednesday morning in the Bernhard Center.
(WCMU) Michigan hunters need to know about regulations when they head for the field It turns out some of them are also pretty well versed on the Freedom of Information Act. Lawmakers say at least one hunter used FOIA Requests to find game. Grouse are ground-nesting game bird that can be difficult to find. Republican Representative Scott VanSingel says at least one hunter requested public information from the DNR to improve their odds. the DNR discontinued its ruffed grouse survey after it learned it was being used to hunt. VanSingel says his bill wouldn’t change the Freedom of Information Act itself but would require anyone that FOIAs the DNR for information to sign a waiver saying that the information won’t be used for hunting.
In baseball Battle Creek split a double header with Rockford. The Bombers lost the first game Tuesday night 9-2, it was the completion of a game suspended by rain earlier this month. Battle Creek beat the Rivets in the second game 3-1. The two teams will play again Wednesday night at C.O. Brown Stadium.
Kalamazoo jumped out to a 4-0 lead and went on to an 8-4 win at Kenosha Tuesday night. The Growlers and the Kingfish will play again Wednesday night to wrap up the two game series.