Senators Albert and Theis, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of Senate Bill No. 382 and moved that the statements they made during the discussion of the bill be printed as their reasons for voting “no.”
The motion prevailed.
Senator Albert’s statement is as follows:
I have kids. I want college to be affordable. But we can’t keep going back to Michigan taxpayers to pay for these types of programs. It’s easy to make promises like those outlined in the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. It’s much harder to actually pay for them. The cost of this scholarship program is rising as more students become eligible, and the costs are expected to be approaching $600 million a year in only two fiscal years from now. That is more than twice as much as we pay in the current fiscal year. Simply put, this is a program we can’t afford. Thank you, and I urge a “no” vote.
Senator Theis’ statement is as follows:
While I strongly support access to education and ensuring Michigan’s workforce is trained for the next generation, employers need help—that’s true—I can’t support this specific piece of legislation. If we’re going to spend taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, I believe there should be a clear, specific purpose of where the taxpayer funds are going. Well-trained workforce is valuable; however, this bill does not distinguish between degrees that serve the needs of our economy and those that exist only in academia. Every day I hear from constituents struggling to make ends meet and put their own children through college. I truly believe that Michiganders do not want their hard-earned dollars funding degrees in areas that in the end will not contribute to our workforce. Although I appreciate the bill’s transparency measures, tracking degree completion, and outcomes, this is a more appropriate arena for a pilot program, not a costly unaffordable statewide expansion. Human nature shows us that people value what they work hard to achieve. When it’s given away for free, that value diminishes. Without adding additional safeguards such as clawing back funds if a student quits, this program risks waste, something we’ve seen over and over again in programs like this.
Lastly, when government writes the check, costs go up. Few things are more costly to the taxpayer than something the government gives away for free. This legislation sets the stage for driving up the price for higher education, making it unaffordable for anyone not on government assistance. Ultimately, this is a blueprint for turning grades 13 and 14 into a publicly funded entitlement regardless of whether the education serves a functional role in society. For these reasons, I encourage my colleagues to join me in voting “no.”
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 383, entitled
A bill to create a financial aid program for certain residents of this state who attend certain occupational training programs in this state; to provide for the administration of the financial aid program; to provide for the promulgation of rules; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state officers and entities.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: