LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kevin Cotter has four chief priorities as he enters his second and final year as House speaker, and an overhaul and bailout of Detroit’s school district isn’t among them.
Auto insurance changes, an update to energy laws, criminal justice spending and the broader state budget will top the agenda. Cotter tells The Associated Press he’s “greatly” concerned with a component of Gov. Rick Snyder’s education plan that could lead to the closure of poor-performing Detroit public schools, including independent charters.
Snyder outlined his Detroit Public Schools proposals in March and October, but no legislation was introduced before lawmakers adjourned for the year.
The House’s most immediate issue when it returns in January may be energy bills, which haven’t cleared either chamber despite pressure from major utilities to act.
