For the past several years, a small group has been working to advocate for a line item appropriation in the state's School Aid budget to provide grant support for speech and debate programs. This is similar to how Robotics programs were funded and exploded across the state. Well... now it's happened. An amendment (99p) is in the Senate's version of the School Aid budget to provide up to $3 million in grant funding for high school speech and debate programs. https://sfa.senate.michigan.gov/Departments/BudgetBill/BBk12_web.pdf (99p begins on page 333)
Now we need your help to encourage the House side to also put the 99p addition into their version of the bill to improve the odds that it is in the final, compromise version of the bill that is sent to the Governor. The next 10 days are critical to this effort.
1. We need you to send emails this week to your Rep telling them how transformative speech and debate activities are for young people and how important this kind of funding would be for your programs. A sample email template is linked here, feel free to edit. Here's the link to the State's Find Your Rep tool.
2. We are trying to get meetings next week with members of the House Appropriations committee and/or the Education Appropriations committee. If you have a connection to any of these folks (in particular the chairs) that would help facilitate getting a meeting please let us know ASAP. Here are the members of the House Appropriations committee - chair Ann Bollin (R) Here are the members of the House Education sub-committee chair Tim Kelly (R)
3. We'd like you to send an email to your Senator telling them how you appreciate the addition of section 99p in their version of the bill and how transformative this funding will be for programs. Here are the members of the Senate Appropriations committee Here are the members of the Senate Education K-12 Appropriations sub-committee
