MI: Conservative group withdraws DeVos-backed voucher initiative after Democrats control Lansing

[RandySF]

The state announced Monday that the right-wing group pushing for a school voucher-style system in Michigan withdrew its petitions to get on the 2024 ballot.

On Dec. 28, 2022, the Let MI Kids Learn campaign withdrew both of its petitions from the Board of State Canvassers; one to create the Student Opportunity Scholarship Program to pay tuition and fees in K-12 public or private schools, homeschooling materials and online learning programs for students with financial need; and the other to make contributions to the program tax deductible.

“We are not surprised that this disastrous petition was pulled, and we’re very pleased because this marks a major victory for public school students, parents, and educators. Over the years — and especially last November — Michiganders have shown time and time again at the ballot box that they do not support efforts to defund public education,” said Casandra Ulbrich, spokesperson for For MI Kids, For Our Schools, a ballot committee opposed to the Let MI Kids Learn proposal.

A spokesperson for Let MI Kids Learn did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

The Let MI Kids Learn campaign, which is backed by former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a longtime advocate and funder of school choice and charter schools, missed the June 1, 2022 deadline to submit petition signatures for the November ballot.




https://michiganadvance.com/blog/conservative-group-withdraws-devos-backed-voucher-initiative-after-democrats-control-lansing/

[SheltieLover]

1. Excellent! 👏👏👏👏

[Genki Hikari]

2. Now this is great news.

Anything that takes money from fascist indoctrination is a win.

Everything in Michigan is headed in a great direction now. So wish I could be there for it.

I need to start tallying the days I'm stuck in the prison of Texas until I can afford to move to Michigan. The only reason I don't say that it can't happen soon enough is that the move depends on the mothers of my husband and me dying, so that we'll get our inheritances. And I'm not wanting that to happen any sooner than circumstances decide.

But I'm definitely going to add an entry to my planner on 31 Dec every year that says, "Another terrible year of living in Texas, when Michigan exists."

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. These damned voucher plans are just schemes to divert public money from public schools.

Republicans' war on education is the most crucial part of their push for fascism

[Buckeyeblue]

4. Betsy ruined what little reputation she had by joining Trump's cabinet

Not only did it expose how little she knows about education but it attached her forever to a crazy fascist.

I've posted this on her before. But one of my favorite Michigan political moments is the debate where Jennifer Granholm just absolutely took it to Dick DeVos (Betty's husband). The look on his face told the viewers everything. No one, especially a woman, had ever challenged him like before. That was 2006. Donald Trump was still playing office then.