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Michigan
House
votes to
pay
Detroit
school
debt
without
Dems
Associated
Press
LANSING,
MI -
After 15
hours of
mostly
private
meetings,
the
Michigan
House
approved
a $500
million
restructuring
plan for
the
ailing
Detroit
Public
Schools
early
Thursday.
House
lawmakers
started
session
Wednesday
and
emerged
from a
series
of
private
caucus
meetings
to
approve
a plan
to make
sure
teachers
are paid
and the
district
pays off
debt.
But the
plan
doesn't
include
a
commission
that
would
have the
authority
to
approve
which
schools
open and
close in
the
city, a
key part
of the
Senate
plan
which
passed
previously
and a
major
reason
why
Democrats
voted
against
the
package.
Democrats
argued
the
omission
would
not
address
root
problems
at the
schools,
which
they
said
related
to state
control
over the
district,
lack of
money
and the
proliferation
of area
charter
schools.
The
House
plan
also
didn't
include
$200
million
that was
in the
Senate
plan,
which
Democrats
said was
crucial
for the
schools'
recovery.
Rep.
Fred
Durhal
III, a
Detroit
Democrat
called
it a
"temporary
fix" and
implied
that the
GOP-controlled
House
was
aiding
the
continuation
of a
"second
class
education"
for
Detroit
children.
But
Republicans
bristled
at
Democrats'
ire.
"I have
never
had a
more
difficult
time in
providing
half a
billion
dollars,"
Pscholka
told
fellow
lawmakers.
Republican
Speaker
of the
House
Kevin
Cotter
argued
that
including
the
commission
would
have
limited
charter
schools
in the
city.
Cotter
called
it a
"big
step
forward"
for the
Detroit
schools.
He said
including
the
commission
Detroit
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
and
Democrats
had
called
for
would
have
"choked
out
charter
schools."
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