Two Democratic leaders in the Michigan legislature are speaking out against proposed cuts in the Michigan Promise educational grants, calling such cuts short sighted. They issued a press release which said:

Speaker Pro Tempore Michael G. Sak (D-Grand Rapids) and State Representative Tim Melton (D-Pontiac) today publicly opposed the proposed recommendation to eliminate the Michigan Promise Grant in order to potentially cut up to $200 million a year from the state budget.

“It would be incredibly short-sighted to eliminate a program that is helping prepare Michigan students to compete for good-paying jobs and creating a highly educated and skilled workforce that will attract top-notch employers,” Sak said. “We created the Michigan Promise Grant in order to make higher education more affordable and accessible for our young students. The proposed elimination would make it much more difficult, if not impossible, for many of our residents to attend college. This is a commitment made by the Legislature to our students and their families, and I have every intention of fulfilling that commitment.”…

“The best way to grow our economy is by investing in our students and building a world-class workforce,” said Melton, Chair of the House Education Committee. “Preserving this program will have both short- and long-term economic benefits for our state. By producing a highly educated workforce, we will make Michigan a magnet for new and existing businesses in emerging fields that will help us become a leader in the global economy.”

A state commission looking for ways to cut the state budget in response to falling tax revenues recently recommended the elimination of these grants, which comprise 40% of the state’s financial aid to students.