Michigan’s Kids Are Under Attack—And Republicans Are Leading the Charge

The party of “family values” is gutting the very programs that keep Michigan kids fed, safe, and learning.

Republicans love to talk about “family values,” but their actions tell a very different story. Both in Washington, DC, and Lansing, Michigan, GOP leaders are ruthlessly cutting programs designed to support our most vulnerable children.

In Michigan, House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland) spent the spring grandstanding about the state budget promising it would be done by July 4th. That budget was loaded with cuts that hit kids the hardest—eliminating free school meals, gutting early reading programs, and slashing mental health support. Apparently, hungry and struggling children are a GOP priority, from DC straight to Lansing. But here's the kicker: Hall couldn't even meet his promised deadline. He just blew through it, back his bags and sent the House members home. So not only does he want to pull the rug out from under our kids—he also can’t keep his word.

Unfortunately, this is nothing new for Michigan Republicans. During his tenure, Governor Rick Snyder set the tone with brutal austerity—cutting nearly $930 million from K-12 in his first budget, including a rare $470-per-pupil foundation allowance cut, and diverting nearly $400 million inSchool Aid Fund dollars away from K-12 and into higher education. Between 2010 and 2018, Snyder’s administration siphoned off a staggering $4.5 billion from public schools to help fund corporate tax breaks.

Matt Hall is simply picking up where Snyder left off. But there’s a silver lining: Republicans only control the House, and Hall’s failure to jam this budget through is a clear sign that Democrats stood their ground.

MI House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richmond) This quote is not verbatim.

But this is just a continuation of what we are seeing at the national level. Donald Trump is withholding billions of dollars already approved by congress to go to schools across the nation. Over $170 million was specifically allocated for Michigan. The money was set to pay for additional teacher training, STEM classes, English as a Second Language classes, after-school programs and more.

A spokesperson for the Trump Administration said this grant money was used to “subsidize a radical left wing agenda”. We aren’t quite sure what’s so left wing about learning how to code or making sure teachers know how to stop fights in the classroom. But withholding these funds just furthers the conflict that Trump has against the entire education apparatus of the United States and the shortfall for our schools here in Michigan.

This is the GOP platform: cruelty as policy. With the fallout from the Big Ugly Bill and a wave of brutal cuts, children are bearing the brunt—losing healthcare, watching their schools get defunded, and being torn from their immigrant parents. The suffering isn’t accidental—it’s the point. At this stage, the only value the Republican Party stands for is profit for the 1%, no matter who gets crushed in the process.

So what are we going to do about it?

Tired of watching billionaires hoard wealth while our schools scrape by? Same. That’s why Distill Social is all in on a ballot initiative in Michigan to add a 5% surcharge on individuals earning over $500,000 or $1M for couples. “Invest In MI Kids” will raise about $1 billion annually for Michigan’s public schools, no more begging for scraps. If we want a future where our kids thrive, we need to start taxing the rich like we mean it.

Learn about the other petitions we are supporting this year too!

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The resistance needs fighters, not followers. If you’re still reading, you already know what’s up. You’re in it. So let’s raise our voices, flood the streets, and make them regret ever underestimating us. Let’s f*ing go.