LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, on Wednesday challenged Senate Democrats to fully restore the 92% cut to school safety and mental health funding first cut from the 2024 School Aid budget:
“This morning, the Democrat majority had an opportunity to fully restore funding for school security and student mental health support. They had an opportunity to avoid the massive cut coming to these critical funds in a matter of days thanks to the budget they passed earlier this year. Yet they all voted no — except for those brave souls who wouldn’t vote at all.
“Instead, they want to pat themselves on the back for some half-baked bill they drop in our laps at the last minute with no compromise. Because of this half measure, half of the door locks that should be installed in classrooms won’t be, half of the security cameras that should be installed to detect intruders won’t be, and half of the students facing a mental health crisis won’t receive the support they need. This is unacceptable.
“Budgets are statements of priorities. What message does it send to the students, teachers, and parents of this state that Democrats managed to find more than $1 billion in their budget for multinational corporations but still can’t find the money to fully secure their classrooms and ensure they’ll have mental health support if they need it? Their priority is obvious, and it’s not our kids.”
