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Dillon says Senate GOP "intentionally deceiving" the public on revenue plan

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI –
State House Speaker Andy Dillon says there isn't much time left to reverse big cuts to schools. And he accuses Senate Republican leaders of lying about their plan to restore school funding. Michigan's School Aid Fund is short an estimated $120 million.

The Senate plan would save money by freezing the tax break for working poor families. But Dillon says would actually cost the state even more in lost federal funds that are linked to the credit.

"So what I've been reading in the media and all the school groups I've been meeting with - they're being misled by the Senate to say we've sent the 100 million in revenue over," he says. "It's up to the House to act."

Dillon says the state should take the crisis action of draining the reserve of federal stimulus dollars for schools and freeze the income tax personal exemption. He says that would avoid bigger cuts to schools and buy time to come up with a stable source of funding for schools. But he says the Legislature needs to act before the end of next week.

A Senate Republican spokesman was not immediately available.

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