LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Issues raised during the gubernatorial debates and campaigns leading up to the election will be policy issues that the Democrat majority house, senate, and governor will face in the coming months as gun laws, education, crime, abortion are all of concern. 

Education was a policy that Gov. Whitmer and the Republican majority held legislature disagreed on particularly where dollars were spent and about certain education standards for elementary education.  

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“We’re thinking boldly now about where we need to go in terms of actually helping teachers and schools. And the first step has got to be taking a look at some of the policies that are proving to be harmful,” such as the third grade reading retention law, Executive Director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan Bob McCann said. 

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder helped pass the third-graders reading law which would hold failing students back a year if they did not meet state testing standards. Whitmer has not been in favor of this law, and others in her Administration including State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice and ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee Dayna Polehanki. 

“I personally am going to oversee the repeal of the retention piece, which would flunk third graders based on one test that they take,” Polehanki said in an interview. “Research shows that retention doesn’t work. It doesn’t help kids to read.”

Educators in Michigan may see an increase in bonuses for teachers as Whitmer has proposed legislation in the past which would have given teachers $1.5 billion in bonus over four years.  Republicans blocked this with some opponents questioning if the funding would support all teachers or just in areas where there were staffing shortages. 

Some have voiced concerns regarding charter schools’ transparency and may seek to change rules for publicizing records. 

“We’re going to require charter schools – especially the for-profit charter schools – to open their books and show us what the taxpayer money has been going for,” Polehanki said. 

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Proposition 3 passed after the election, many Democrats, including Whitmer celebrated its passing, but its passage may not be enough for some. Some fear that because the 1931 law was not removed from the books, it could cause issues down the road. 

“Voters set a clear mandate on Election Day by passing Proposal 3 and electing pro-abortion rights majorities in the state Legislature. Not only do voters want Michigan’s dangerous 1931 criminal abortion ban rendered unenforceable, they want it repealed entirely,” Executive Director at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan Nicole Wells Stallworth said. 

The end of November will mark a year since the deadly Oxford High School shooting, reminding many of Michigan’s political parties’ differing opinions regarding gun laws in the state. 

Gov. Whitmer has voiced her support of safe storage laws, red flag laws, background checks among other stricter gun legislation.  Advocacy groups such as Moms Demand Action support the governor’s calls to action. 

“Our army of grassroots advocates have become the bench and next generation of gun sense lawmakers — and we’re eager to get to work helping save lives from gun violence in the coming legislative session,” founder of Moms Demand Action Shannon Watts said.  

During the gubernatorial debates, Whitmer repeatedly reminded Michiganders that she signed 900 bills in her four years as governor – all of which bipartisan according to Whitmer, and some Democrats have voiced this will continue to be a priority. 

“Bipartisanship is going to be a priority. But what we’ve been talking about for the 12 years that we haven’t been in the majority is going to be something that will take precedent for us. No secrets or surprises here,” Democrat State Representative Joe Tate said.