LANSING – State Representative Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Township) today urged House Republicans to stop playing political games with an appropriations bill that will fund an improvement project at Washtenaw Community College (WCC).
"The state is ready to invest in WCC," Byrnes said. "Supporting higher education is critical to creating jobs now -- we know that we must offer our students a top-notch education in order to help them compete in the global economy. Every day that the Republicans waste playing politics with WCC funding is another day Washtenaw County students are at a disadvantage."
At issue is Byrnes' House Concurrent Resolution 80, the final step in an appropriations process that split the cost of WCC's improvement project between the state and WCC. House Republicans attached Senate Bill 776, the controversial so-called partial birth abortion bill, to HCR 80, effectively stalling the bill on the House floor.
"Previous legislatures already approved funding for WCC -- my resolution is the final piece of the process," Byrnes said. "WCC has proceeded with the project with the expectation that the State would live up to its part of the agreement. To leave WCC hanging after promising the money is a disingenuous political gimmick. I call on House Republicans to remove their amendment to HCR 80 and focus on getting Michigan back on track instead of wasting time on election-year gamesmanship."