BY RICK PLUTA
Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING - Governor Granholm is using her weekly radio address to ramp up pressure on legislative Republicans to support more revenue for schools.
The governor vetoed more than $50 million in the school aid budget that would have gone to the state's highest-spending school districts. She agreed to cuts adding up to $165 for every student. And her budget office just sent a letter to schools saying those cuts will grow to almost $300 dollars per student if the Legislature does not come up with more money.
"Because in simple terms the school aid bill that landed on my desk was a bad check that bounced almost as soon as it was written," she said.
"Because it was not a balanced budget as required by law, I also made 54 (m) million dollars in line-item vetoes, but even cuts of that magnitude didn't solve the problem."
She says a shortfall in the School Aid Fund has grown to $212 million dollars and she has a duty to let schools know as soon as possible that they could face a new round of cuts. But Republicans say the governor is playing politics with school funding to try and force them to accept new taxes and fees.
The governor endorsed a House Democratic plan to generate more revenue with new tobacco taxes, by reducing some business tax breaks, and by selling late-night liquor licenses. The money would be used to restore cuts to schools, Medicaid, local governments, and college scholarships. Republicans say the governor is playing politics with the school budget.
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