Just write a law that says you don't have to!
Seems the Republicans don't like it when their fiscal irresponsibility causes them grief, so they will fix that. They will write laws saying that they don't have to deal with the problem. See how that works?
Schools should no longer be used as political pawns in intense bargaining over the state budget, Rep. John Moolenaar says.That's one reason the Midland Republican this week introduced a bill that starting next year would prohibit school districts from having their state aid cut after March 1.
"This year the kids throughout Michigan were held hostage to negotiations over a tax increase. And that's wrong," Moolenaar said.
Let's hold cities revenue sharing hostage instead- makes it easier to just pass the problem on to them, make them have to raise the revenue to pay for their cops. Or how about those people who need health care. Just cut them off. Maybe we can just let all the prisoners go.
Anything but come up with a real solution.
"The goal is to prevent schools from being cut in the fourth quarter of the operating year," Moolenaar said. "This bill allows us to solve the problem before we get to a crisis."
Don't let the fact that they knew about this crisis in late December and still didn't address it until the last minute throw you here.
So, how do they fix this?
If the school aid fund runs a deficit after March 1, the money to cover the shortfall would come from the general fund, the state's main checkbook.
And if the general fund is also running a deficit, as it is this year? Does the money just magically appear out of nowhere?
The Republican solution is to write a law that says they don't have to come up with a solution. Perfect. And fitting for this bunch.