The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 14,1993- 7 RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE SURE State legislators start education plan debate LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Gov. John Engler's education plan made its debut in the Senate yesterday as two new committees began debating the most crucial issue to face the Leg- islature in decades. "This is an historic opportunity. It is our opportunity," state Treasurer Douglas Roberts told a joint meeting of the Select Committees on Educa- tion Reform and on School Finance Reform. The two panels, controlled by Republicans, set afast-track schedule that calls for all the bills to be sent to the full Senate in 13 days. The evenly divided House also is working on the education plan in committee. Senate leaders of both parties urged their colleagues to cooperate andsetasidepartisan differences. But that might be impossible for lawmak- ers used to party demands and faced with such a critical issue. "The work you all are doing today may be the most important work by a committee in the last half-century," said Majority Leader Dick Posthumus (R-Alto). "We cannot make every- body happy, but we should keep the kids in mind." Roberts outlined the ambitious proposalunveiledlast weekbyEngler. Officials are about to rebuild an edu- cation system torn apart by the July vote to end property taxes for school operations. The administration now puts the cost of lost revenues at $6.977 billion in the next fiscal year. Its details show thatEngleris proposing to raise $6.674 billion in new taxes to replacemost of the lost money, leaving anet tax cut of $303 million. But that could be reduced by the fact that property taxes can be de- ducted on federal income tax forms while sales tax -which Engler wants to raise -cannot. Critics argue the plan means an overall tax increase of $300 million to $500 million, taking into account the higher federal taxes. And one Democrat told Roberts that helping families was more im- portant to children's success in school than devising a new funding scheme and implementing charter schools and 'This is an historic opportunity,' - Douglas Roberts state treasurer schools of choice. "You flat out missed the mark," said Sen. Joseph Conroy, of Flint. "Mobility is not the issue." But Roberts portrayed the plan as a way to inject flexibility into the school system. Under the plan, Rob- erts said, the proposed 50 percent increase in the sales tax would go back to the ballot in the year 2000 for voter review. Engler is proposing that the increase go before voters Feb. 8. Lawyers tile appeals in UMon Detroit police DETROIT (AP) - A lawyer for one of the former police officers sen- tenced to prison for beating a motorist to death filed an appeal with a higher court yesterday seeking to free his client while he appeals the convic- tion. Attorney John Goldpaugh said he asked the state Court of Appeals to free Larry Nevers. He said there are several grounds on which the convic- tion should be reversed. "I believe that the change of venue is an issue. I believe the failure to declare a mistrial over the showing of 'Malcolm X' is an issue," Goldpaugh told Detroit radio station WWJ. Fired officers Nevers and Walter Budzyn were sentenced by Recorders CourtJudge George Crockett on Tues- day to l2to25yearsand8 to l8 years, beating case respectively. Crockett denied their request to remain free on bond. Goldpaugh said he requested a review of Crockett's denial of bond. He said he expected a reply within a week. Budzyn's attorney, Michael Batchelor said he intended to file an appeal on his client's behalf this morn- ing. Meanwhile, Nevers and Budzyn were to undergo physical andpsycho- logical examinations yesterday at the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee County, said Warren Will- iams, a Department of Corrections spokesperson. Nevers and Budzyn are expected to stay at Oaks for up to five weeks before being moved to afederal prison to serve the rest of their sentences. 2 V/A yto £4- W04C r-e Jou~ 5P 'ye a r9: a '. x + '' / 4., ,i .- ..- I JoaStem 's co r .Qi f nA erI'tCASCo//eLaqe' Rh rt Je2JW&S r a e P q , PETER MATTHEWS/Daily A worker on a ladder checks out the Elias Brothers' Big Boy sign on Washtenaw Avenue yesterday. WRITE.: .9 - R THEDAIL. 4 . mot ::."::::.':.~~~ 4" 44 4'.'4 -4 4':.'' 4 ':4:4':. 1 ''io~ /*-s your Pa4f.. i*'s yo-u..f It9 Lf7 CONVENIENT LOCATION If you wist Huntington, Long Island campus materials is easily reached by public or private visit, you transportation. Office of DAY AND EVENING CLASSES Jacob D. 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