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Senators concurred unanimously with substitute versions of SB 567 and SB 568, the final step before being sent to the governor. Under SB 567, pre-screening for dyslexia would have to be provided in public schools. For SB 568, teacher preparation programs would be required to include instruction on identifying and addressing dyslexia. Among the changes made by the House before it passed the bills Wednesday was a one-year delay for the implementation of the requirements. Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) said it has taken a long time to get to this point with the bills, thanking stakeholders and other members for their work. "Taken together, these bills will improve our assessments that we’re giving in the classroom to make sure that we measure the foundational skills of literacy," Irwin said. "It is important that we get this legislation right, because reading is the fundamental skill that all other education is built upon." Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) told members he was diagnosed with dyslexia while in elementary school and that he was lucky to be accepted into a program to help students with dyslexia. "To get to this point where all these kids are going to get the intervention that has kept us at near the absolute bottom … this is going to, I believe, make an absolute difference, to take us to the very middle and then to the very top," Runestad said. Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) said for years as a former high school teacher she wasn’t trained in identifying dyslexia, and it was virtually never spoken about at school. "I wonder how many kids of mine, I can see them each year in my mind’s eye, struggling to read, actually had dyslexia and we didn’t catch it," Polehanki said. Governor Gretchen Whitmer praised the Legislature’s efforts in a statement following the vote. "Today’s commonsense, bipartisan package will allow teachers and tutors to use proven science of reading strategies to improve literacy," Whitmer said. "It will also strengthen professional development for our educators and more support and screening for dyslexia and other learning challenges." State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice in a statement said that "kids won today" with the Legislature’s votes. "This legislation will help educators substantially improve reading for children in the state," Rice said. "Literacy is the foundation of learning. Improving it will help children in school and throughout their adult lives." Amber Arellano, executive director of Ed Trust-Midwest, called the bill passage "a moment of hope" in a statement. "The passage of this legislation – more than several years in the making – is a real testament to what our state leaders and advocates can accomplish when we work together to focus on the needs of Michigan students." Not all education groups support the bills. The Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, the Michigan Association of School Boards and the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators are among those that remain opposed. They have warned the bills are far too prescriptive and will be problematic to implement. Senators moved three housing discrimination bills by 20-17 votes, SB 205, SB 206 and SB 207, which collectively would ban landlords from discriminating against a person based on their source of income. Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) said the bills would have a negative effect on landlords, many of whom are barely getting by. "There’s so many new regulations being piled upon them, and this is just another one," Runestad said. Runestad said to force people to accept tenants using vouchers such as Section 8 can be destructive to landlords. Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) urged support for the package, saying it would provide more opportunities for lower-income families to get into good housing and have better access to good schools. He said the proposal before the chamber was a solid compromise for both landlords and tenants. "We need to make sure that low-income families have access to housing here in the state of Michigan," Irwin said. Senators also voted Thursday to pass project funding through the Natural Resources Trust Fund. Passing 37-0 was SB 817, which contains $27.3 million in total spending. This is split between $17.5 million for 18 land acquisition projects and $9.8 million for 35 land development projects. Senators also moved a slate of budget implementation bills: SB 926, SB 928, SB 929, SB 931, SB 932, SB 933, SB 934 and SB 935. Senators also voted 20-17 along party lines to concur with House substitutes for SB 929 and SB 931. Thursday’s order stems from a September 2022 directive to Consumers Energy Company, DTE Electric Company and Indiana Michigan Power Company to file updated five-year electric distribution system investment and maintenance plans by September 29, 2023. This directive was due to concerns over the performance of electric utilities in terms of reliability. The order called on utilities to address climate risks in its scenario planning affecting the resilience of their distribution infrastructure in their next distribution plans filed with the commission. The PSC on Thursday ordered more details from utilities supporting proposals for spending in the next round of distribution plans. It was added that distribution plans should also inform future utility rate cases. The order also emphasized the importance of alternatives analyses as well as environmental justice analyses in distribution plans and rate cases to demonstrate customer affordability and cost effectiveness. PSC staff were also directed to develop a protective order for confidential information in the case, with the opportunity for public comment on the order. Public comment would also be sought on a straw proposal by PSC staff designed to clarify and improve the distribution plan process. Commission staff have suggested a requirement that distribution plans be filed every three years, with yearly updates provided to reflect potential changes. PSC staff also suggested meetings be held between utilities and interested parties prior to the filing of distribution plans. Comments on both the protective order and straw plan are due by 5 p.m. October 24, 2024, referencing Case No. U-20147. Written comments are to be mailed to Michigan Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 30221, Lansing, MI, 48909, sent through the commission’s e-docket system or emailed to LARA-MPSC-Edockets@michigan.gov. In a separate order, the PSC ordered Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company to files responses to the independent third-party audits of their distribution systems that were released earlier this week. The audits found that the distribution systems for both utilities performed worse than average among utilities in the average time it takes to restore service (See Gongwer Michigan Report, September 23, 2024). Interested parties can file comments regarding the audits, which are due by 5 p.m. December 16, 2024, with reply comments due by 5 p.m. on January 17, 2025. Written comments can be mailed to Executive Secretary, Michigan Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 30221, Lansing, MI, 48909, sent through the commission’s e-docket system or by email to mpscedockets@michigan.gov. DCD OUT AND ABOUT:
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DYSLEXIA SCREENING BILLS CLEAR FINAL HURDLE
HOUSING DISCRIMINATION BILLS PASS IN DIVIDED SENATE
PSC ISSUES ORDER PUSHING UTILITIES TO IMPROVE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM PLANNING
THE DCD MARIJUANA TEAM: YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE!
