The motion prevailed.
Senator Irwin’s statement, in which Senators McCann, Singh and McMorrow concurred, is as follows:
First I want to say that I really appreciate the work I’ve been able to do with the Senator from the 23rd District and others across the aisle on the important issue of dyslexia and I want to congratulate him and others for getting money for the Michigan Dyslexia Institute in previous budgets. I just want to point out that in the Appropriations Committee, the Senator from the 8th District was able to make an amendment to the budget to provide additional funding to that organization and that was an amendment I strongly supported.
While we’ve seen here an offer today to simply double that funding on top of what the entity had requested in the budget process, I’m going to unfortunately have to oppose that. But I did want to rise and say that this work that hopefully we’re doing together to address kids who experience characteristics of dyslexia and make sure our literacy programs are attuned to the science of reading and the fundamental skills necessary for reading, I’m on board for that. That’s why I’m happy to see that we’ve got funding for this entity, more funding than last year for this entity, in the budget, thanks to the great work of the Senator from the 8th District, and I’m also happy to see that thanks to the subcommittee chair, we at least so far have in our Senate budget some significant funding for training for teachers as well in the skills necessary to address dyslexia. I wanted to rise and address the Senator’s amendment, explain why I’m voting “no” despite the fact that I appreciate his work and hopefully our continuing work together on this important issue.
Senator Theis offered the following amendment:
1. Amend page 289, following line 15, by inserting:
“(f) Provide advice, guidance, and leadership to assist all districts located within its geographic boundaries to assist in the preparedness and response efforts toward addressing COVID-19. At a minimum, this must include the coordination and collaboration with any local public health agency that has jurisdiction within the intermediate district’s geographic boundaries and may include the coordination of bulk purchasing of personal protective equipment, technology, or other products or services necessary for students to return to school.
(g) Ensure that all districts located within its geographic boundaries have equitable access to the intermediate district’s coordination activities and services, intermediate districtwide or regional meetings, regularly scheduled superintendent meetings, programming, events, email distribution lists, listservs, or other coordination or collaboration activities organized by or hosted at the intermediate district. In ensuring that all districts located within the geographic boundaries of the intermediate district have equitable access to services, meetings, programming, events, email distribution lists, listservs, or activities as described in the immediately preceding sentence, the intermediate district shall ensure that districts that are public school academies that are located within its geographic boundaries are not excluded from said services, meetings, programming, events, email distribution lists, listservs, or activities organized by or hosted at the intermediate district if districts that are not public school academies that are located within the geographic boundaries of the intermediate district are not excluded.”.
The question being on the adoption of the amendment,
Senator Lauwers requested the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, 1/5 of the members present voting therefor.
The amendment was not adopted, a majority of the members serving not voting therefor, as follows: