Legislators Differ On How To Handle DPS Issues

The top Republicans in the Michigan House and Michigan Senate don’t see eye-to-eye on how to best tackle Detroit Public Schools mounting debt and recent sick outs by DPS teachers.

House Speaker Kevin Cotter believes bills cracking down on teacher sick outs, which he says amount to a strike, should come first.

However Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof says passing the governor’s plan to help get DPS out debt and restructure the district is his top priority, not the sick out measures.

Hearings began this week on the governor’s plan, which would cost the state $715 million.

Senate sponsored bills to deal with teacher sick outs recently cleared a Senate committee.

Similar anti-sick out bills were also introduced in the Michigan House.