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House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, (at podium) announces the 2017-18 House Republican Action Plan on Feb. 16, 2017.
(Emily Lawler | MLive.com)
LANSING, MI -- Michigan House Republicans are out with their action plan for this session, which includes lowering the cost of auto insurance and opening up a discussion on school vouchers.
The 2017-2018 House Republican Action Plan outlines what the caucus would like to accomplish this session, which began in January and ends in December 2018.
"Many of our members hit thousands of doors around the state during this last cycle, talking again to thousands of people, hearing what was on their minds. And that's how we came up with this product. This is us being responsive and accountable to the people that sent us here," said House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt.
In a copy of the plan reviewed by MLive, one section focused on giving students and parents "more educational freedom."
Leonard said that would include starting a discussion on school vouchers.
"What we do need to do is, we need to start the conversation. We need to bring it to the forefront, and we need to bring every choice possible we can to parents," Leonard said.
The idea behind vouchers is attaching education funding to children and having it follow them to any school, be it public or private. In 2000 Michigan voters rejected a ballot initiative to allow school vouchers. But Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Saginaw, who chairs the House Education Reform Committee, has put forward the idea of educational vouchers more recently.
One problem vouchers have run into is the state constitution, which contains a provision prohibiting the expenditure of public dollars on private schools.
Leonard recognized that, saying he wanted the discussion but any action would be constitutional.
"Certainly if we were to decide as a caucus to push the idea of vouchers, that is something that is going to have to be done through the constitutional process. It's not going to be done legislatively," Leonard said.
Another priority for the caucus will be reducing auto insurance rates. It's something that especially new House Republicans are looking for change on, said Leonard.
For years, the state's no-fault system -- which assesses a fee on vehicles and provides unlimited lifetime medical benefits for those injured in automobile crashes -- has been under the legislative microscope. But proposals have fizzled or failed to gain consensus.
"This has been a priority for House Republicans I know over the past two terms since I've been here. And the issue has been finding that compromise or that sweet spot where we can get 56 in the House that agree, 20 in the Senate and then of course the Governor's signature," Leonard said.
But he said this term there's a better opportunity, both because so many new representatives are prioritizing it and because rates keep increasing.
"As these rates go higher our citizens are going to demand some type of reform. I believe we've hit a point where it's starting to bubble, and hopefully we get some type of reform done this cycle," Leonard said.
And those aren't the only priorities House Republicans announced plans to pursue. Others include:
- Providing income tax relief through House Bill 4001, which
- Closing the teacher retirement system to new teachers. Doing that would get more money into classrooms and government could "hopefully give our teachers pay raises," Leonard said.
- Looking for ways to further work on mental health in Michigan, especially in criminal areas. Leonard said in the corrections realm prevention was key, and Republicans would be looking at getting somebody the help they need before they commit a crime.
- Making government honest and open, including by pursuing
- Finding ways to help build skilled trades in Michigan.
Leonard said the caucus had already started discussions on some of the items, and planned to do everything it could to accomplish each item in the plan.