.1
By
CIlpilaJ News Service
LANSING - nie budget for
higher education that exceeds
Gov. Jam Blanchard's prop-
oal by nearly $14 million was
approved by the Senate May 4
but is drawing controvercy in the
House.
The Senate, where the bill
originated, is recommending a
2.3 percent increase in the
higher education budget op­
posed to Blanchard's proposal
lof a 1 percent increase over last
year, Ellen Jeffries, fiscal anal�t
for higher education, Said.
"The Senate just deeded
that they would prioritize dif­
ferently than the governor did,"
Jeffries said.
By prioritizing, the Senate
h decided to make reductions
in other areas initiated by the
governor, such as labor and
House side said that Sederburg,
who has. a chair position at .
Michigan State University, al­
ways happen to devise formulas
that are beneficial to MSU.
"Michigan State has received
. a substantial incre and my in-
stitution, Wayne State Univer­
sity, was at the bottom of the
totem pole," Hood said. "I don't
think we ought to 'discriminate
against any institution just be­
cause we have a chair."
Hood, who is a Waype State
University alumnus, aid that
more consideration should be
given to tho institutions with
enrollment increases and new
facilitie .
"The proposal that (Seder­
burg) h� passed, $14 million
over the governor's recommen­
dation, has an opportunity to
pass like a snowball in Hell,"
Hood said.
On the other hand,
Sedetburg's plan guarantees a
foundation level of support for
each student in the state and al­
locates money to five graduate
institutions based on need.
MSU, he said, is the most under- _
funded of the graduate institu­
tions and therefore will receive
greater funding.
"We've tri d to spend the
money for equity and narrow
the �ap among the schools as
best we could," Sederburg said.
But to Hood, Sederburg, is
"just jockeying for a position."
I "I am certainly not going to let
" Diy university and other univer­
. sities be short -changed," Hood
said.
Wayne State has had less
than a 5 percent increase in tui­
tion in five years and according
to Sederburg's formula they're
being penalized, Hood said.
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commerce, and 'put that money
into education, she said. Trea urer sees stro
Sen. William Sederburg, R-
East Lansing and chairman of By Dalin Clark
the Senate Appropriation's Capital NewsSetvice thestatesale taxfrom atoe per-
Committee on Higher Educa- LANSING - The days of, cent, said Doug Roberts, direc-
tion, said th t this was nOt the "Here's your money, report bac tor of the Senate Fuca) Agency:
year to fund the new ctivities to u. in] 0 years and we wish you Both proposals also provide
proposed by the governor so a lot of luck," are gone, said State . mmore than a billion dollars in
they took the money and hifted Tre urer Robert Bowman, ad- property tax relief" he said. The
it over to education. dres ing the current issues of Senate proposal would provide
hat's why we took it up to school and finance reform. a 50 percent reduction for
.3 percent, an indication of . The state government will agricultur I and residential
our priorities for funding, soon take a sigaificantJy more properties and a 30 percent
Sederburg "aid. active role in Michigan eduction reduction for industrial and
However, it is unlikely t t and that would mean more state busine s properties. The House
the Senate-reo mmended 2.3 control, he conceded. bill would allow an automatic
percent incre e over last year' "I think Michigan is unique in S15,<XXl homestead reduction of
budget will fare well in the I having a long history of local the current state equalized value
House. control of schools ... but the days (SEV). .
"They will disagree with it as of quantity in government and . The House bill provides
they always do and we always not quality in government are about $500 million for schools,
disagree with their bills," Seder- gone." which is about twice the amount
burg id, adding that their big- . Both legislative bodie have of money allotted by the Senate
gest concern will be the inade- proposed different funding and bill, Roberts said. The House
quacy of funding for Wayne ) school reform proposals. A two- _ 'has also recommended the c1os­
State Univer ity. thirds majority agreement in ing of tax loophole that would
Rep. Morris Hood, D- each hou e is needed for a provide an additional 120 mil-
Detroit and chairman of the I proposal to be put before the lion to go to t e schools.
Higher Educatio Appropria- voters. . After an agreement : is
lions Subcommittee on the Both proposals would r . reached by the legislators, the
coli e
ding;· H ba Ie
d· ional WSU fun s
er ro e for State in schools
final deci ion will be made b
Michigan voters.
"People will have to v te on
this,," Roberts said. "The legis­
lature can't do it by themselve .
"This administration's poin
of view is that if we're going to
raise the sales tax, if we're goin
to go to the voters and ask them
for a sal tax increase, that we
get real chool reform, which is
substantial property tax cuts for
both homeowners and busi­
nesses, which also includes
quality," Bowman said.
Both Hous: and Senate
proposals are also calling for
001 reform. They want to ad­
ess quality, no just dollars,
Roberts said.
Preschool programs, core
curiculum requirements and
school imp ovement programs
that would involve both school
offtcials and local citizens are
outlined in both plans.
Roberts aid that there i
probalbly more agreement with •
quality reforn\ i ues than tax is­
sues.
"And there' a I t of agree­
ment with tax," he said.
"We're spending in excess of
$6 billion a year on K-12 educa­
tion and while we have a good
system, il could probably be a lit­
tie better," Bowman' said. "We
want to make sure we're getting
the quality that we think we need
and that we think the taxpayer
want.· .
I Taxpayers will be sked to
vote on the general issues of tax
reform, Bowma said. The
pecific etails to how the
money will be spent will be
decided by the Legislature at a
late, time.
tt 0 action will be t en on
the quality bill without having
the financing tuff all tied up
with a neat bow around it, aid
en. Chri topoher D. Dingell,
0- Trenton, education and men­
tal health committee member.