Michigan students are a signature away from getting four snow days forgiven after a brutal winter left some schools closed for weeks. The state Senate sent the bill to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk Thursday.
This comes after a dust-up between Republicans and Democrats on details of the bill. Earlier this week, Democrats prevented the bill from getting immediate effect – which would have effectively killed the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) said he’s still disappointed the bill did not include a guarantee that hourly workers will be compensated for the forgiven days.
“We worked for that,” he said. “I think a lot of school districts will cover that anyway. I think that was unfortunate, but it was something we couldn’t get. We voted on what was the best available option in front of us.”
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) said this is a good move for schools trying to finalize their calendars.
“Great outcome,” he said. “It’s all for the kids and giving schools plenty of notice when they can do their proper planning.”
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