Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on March 18, 2003, the House version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003-2004 Department of Corrections budget. This appropriates $1.721 billion in adjusted gross spending (funded from all sources, including state restricted fund and federal pass-through dollars, minus interdepartmental transfers), compared to $1.701 billion, which was the FY 2002-2003 amount enrolled in 2002, excluding any supplemental appropriations, line-item vetoes, or later cuts. Of this, $1.632 billion will come from the General Fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the amount passed in 2002 for FY 2002-2003 of $1.618 billion. (Note: Gov. Granholm’s proposed budget for this department is House Bill 4414 .) Much more information on Michigan’s budget is available at Hot Topics: Michigan’s Budget Challenge at www.mackinac.org/4964

The vote was 92 in favor, 13 opposed and 4 not voting

(House Roll Call 76 at House Journal 31)

Click here to view bill details.

Reps. Smith, Accavitti, Waters, Condino, Hood and Dennis, having reserved the right to explain their nay vote, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no to Rep. Brandenburg's Amendment #3 to HB 4390 (H-1) because it is unfair to pit the adult education
program against educational programming for prisoners. Ninety percent of the prison population will be released back into society. Eighty percent of inmates enter prison lacking basic reading, math, and writing skills. Statistics show there is a direct correlation between prisoners obtaining a high school education/GED and reduced recidivism. It is important to provide this population with the tools needed to become self-sufficient, make better decisions, and most importantly not continue in a life of crime. In addition, we have to think of the teachers. The cut would not only affect education for prisoners but also jobs for the hardworking teachers who instruct them."

Reps. Accavitti, Dennis, Hood, Waters having reserved the right to explain their nay vote, made the following
statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no to Rep. Brandenburg's Amendment #3 to HB 4390 (H-1) because it is unfair to pit the adult education program against educational programming for prisoners. Ninety percent of the prison population will be released back
into society. Eighty percent of inmates enter prison lacking basic reading, math, and writing skills. Statistics show
there is a direct correlation between prisoners obtaining a high school education/GED and reduced recidivism. It is
important to provide this population with the tools needed to become self-sufficient, make better decisions, and most importantly not continue in a life of crime. In addition, we have to think of the teachers. The cut would not only affect education for prisoners but also jobs for the hardworking teachers who instruct them."

Rep. Stallworth having reserved the right to explain her protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on final passage of House Bill 4390, the Department of Corrections budget, because Rep. Brandenburg's Amendments were unfairly punitive in nature. The focus was on compensating for a seemingly unrelated cut in the adult education/ Merit Award scholarship programs. These amendments were not offered for consideration by members in the corrections subcommittee meeting. Ninety percent of the prison population will one day be paroled. Hence, the focus should have been on preparing these individuals to become self-sufficient so they can be reintegrated positively
back into society. The cut in educational funding does not reflect this. Eighty percent of inmates enter prison lacking basic reading, math, and writing skills. Statistics show there is a direct correlation between prisoners obtaining a high school education/GED and reduced recidivism."

Rep. Smith, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on HB 4390 (H-1) because it is unfair to pit the adult education program against educational programming for prisoners. Ninety percent of the prison population will be released back into society. Eighty percent of inmates enter prison lacking basic reading, math, and writing skills. Statistics show there is a direct correlation between prisoners obtaining a high school education/GED and reduced recidivism. It is important to provide this population with the tools
needed to become self-sufficient, make better decisions, and most importantly not continue in a life of crime."

Rep. Minore, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on passage of the Corrections budget because of the deep cuts in education for our prisoners. Education is the key to non-recidivism and to assisting prisoners towards rehabilitation. It also serves as a deterrent to mis-behavior within the prison and assists our already understaffed guards in controlling their charges. The significant education cuts in the prison budget means less safety and more cost for society and for our children as under-educated and uneducated prisoners are released and the cost of longer prison stays lingers on for years."

Rep. Tobocman, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no to HB 4390 because it is unfair to pit the adult education program against educational programming for prisoners. Ninety percent of the prison population will be released back into society. Eighty percent of inmates enter prison lacking basic reading, math, and writing skills. Statistics show there is a direct correlation between prisoners obtaining a high school education/GED and reduced recidivism. It is important to provide this population with the tools
needed to become self-sufficient, make better decisions, and most importantly not continue in a life of crime. The
Brandenburg amendment that passed is a short-sighted political ploy that would cost the state in the long run by
increasing recidivism and further burdening our criminal justice system. Our state would be wise to invest resources where they will provide a greater return on our frail public budgets. The scant resources in education of our prison population help reduce future crime and lessen the need for expensive jail cells."

Reps. Hood, Waters, Reeves and Hunter, having reserved the right to explain their protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
I voted no on final passage of HB 4390, the Corrections budget, because Rep. Brandenburg’s amendments were unfairly punitive in nature. The focus was on compensating for a seemingly unrelated cut in the adult education/ Merit Award
scholarship programs. These amendments were not offered for consideration by members in the corrections subcommittee meeting. Ninety percent of the prison population will one day be paroled. Hence, the focus should have
been on preparing these individuals to become self-sufficient so they can be reintegrated positively back into society. The cut in educational funding does not reflect this. Eighty percent of inmates enter prison lacking basic reading, math, and writing skills. Statistics show there is a direct correlation between prisoners obtaining a high school education/GED and reduced recidivism."

It is a statistical fact that the overwelming majority of prison inmates are illiterate. They went to the same failing schools you just gave money to. Why didn't you appropriate that money to be used to teach the prisoners reading using the time-tested phonics that educrats denied them in their elementary schools. See eagleforum.org for excellent information on all education issues. Next, you should not be giving any money to the state education system until the parents get control of their money to choose the school best suited for their child's education through universal tuition tax credits. The schools are failing in every way. Not just the inner-city , but the tales I have heard about the suburbs!

Rep. Stahl, having reserved the right to explain his nay vote, made the following statement:

"Mr. Speaker and members of the House:

The purpose of my no vote is we are appropriating more money for corrections adult education program than the K-12 adult education program. Equitable and just cuts should be practiced. K-12 adult ed. received a 76% cut while corrections adult ed. was not cut at all."