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EXECUTIVE BUDGET RELEASED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Governor Granholm herself joined Bob
Emerson, the State Budget Director, to present the Executive Budget
recommendation to a packed joint Senate and House Appropriations Committee
meeting yesterday. It was an unusual move for the Governor to provide
the commentary, perhaps a response to the criticism she received last year
for being too far removed from the budget process. |
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Crime Victims' Fee Bills Move with Trauma System Funding Intact ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee reported out three
bills to increase the fees paid into the state Crime Victims' Fund by
individuals convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. |
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HHS Secretary and Surgeon General Join First Lady to Announce Plans to Combat Overweight and Obesity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Healthy Baby Campaign Uses Texts to Reach Mothers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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Pregnancy Complications May Predispose come Children Born Prematurely with Asthma ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ According to a paper published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, chorioamnionitis "inflammation of the fetal membranes and amniotic fluid from a baterial infection," appears to be linked to more than half of pre-term births. Although the infection wasn't linked to an increased risk of being diagnosed with asthma by age eight in full term births, among preemies the condition was associated with double the risk of childhood asthma in blacks, a 70% increase in Hispanics and a 66% in whites. Researchers observed these differences even after accounting for other possible risk factors, such as whether the mother smoked or had asthma herself. Dr. Darios Getahun speculats that the infections -- which can be caused by a wide variety of bacteria -- cause inflammation of the fetal lungs, either injuring the ungs or predisposing them to react more severly to future environmental insults. |
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Serotonin Level May be Key to SIDS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Babies who died from sudden infant death
syndrome, or SIDS, show lower amounts of the brain chemical serotonin, says a
study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
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President's Budget Request for Infants and Children ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ President Obama released his FY11 budget
request this morning, indicating his priorities for funding for the fiscal
year that runs October 1, 2010-September 30, 2011. The $3.8 trillion budget
request includes $1.415 trillion in overall domestic discretionary funding.
While the budget request largely freezes domestic discretionary funding for
the next three years, it does include funding increases for some programs and
services, as well as proposes new initiatives the President would like to see
enacted by Congress. |
- Schools - through higher special education costs, higher costs of grade repetition, and lost aid as unprepared students become unsuccessful students and eventually some become dropouts.
- Taxpayers - through higher costs of dealing with juvenile and adult criminals; through higher welfare,
Medicaid and unemployment costs; and through lower tax revenues as unsuccessful students become unproductive adults.
- The public - not only through higher school costs and higher taxes, but also through injuries and property losses, as some juveniles and adults turn to criminal activity.
- The economy - through an inability to compete nationally and internationally due to a higher tax burden and a less educated and skilled workforce.
Beginning in the 1980s, Michigan began making investments in fully preparing young children for school - cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally. Currently Michigan's Great Start system encompasses both early childhood services and a strategic plan for the state's early childhood system of programs, services, and
supports for children from birth to age five and their families.
One element of that system, the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), in concert with federally-funded Head Start programs, serves over 47,000 low-income four-year-olds annually through either a half-day or full-day program of educational preparation.
Economists and economic development officials agree that any strategies to enhance the long-term growth of Michigan must include maintaining and upgrading the quality of its workforce. Yet some recent Michigan data raise the discomfiting prospect that the educational attainment of the state's workforce may decline as
retiring workers are replaced by the young people who are currently finishing or (in too many cases) not finishing school.
This study estimates the current cost savings and revenues to Michigan generated from the investments in school readiness over the past 25 years, the cost burden to Michigan when children are not fully-prepared at
kindergarten entry, and the additional benefits that could be realized if Michigan were to expand its investment in school readiness to all educationally disadvantaged children.
For the full report click here.
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Parents Speak Up National Campaign The Parents
Speak Up National Campaign ("PSUNC") is a national education
campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The
goal is to encourage parents and guardians of preteens (9-12 year-olds) to
talk to their children about sexuality. Parents, more than the media or
peers, have the greatest influence on young people's decisions about sex, but
many parents feel uncomfortable talking about this tough topic. PSUNC was
developed to give parents the resources and confidence to effectively
communicate with their children about sexual issues. |
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Special Reports on Michigan's Early Childhood Efforts The Center for Michigan, a "think-and-do tank" formed in 2006, last week published a two-part special report on the state's early childhood efforts and the funding perils they face. Read the reports here. |
Michigan Kids Count Data for 2010
The Kids Count in Michigan project is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Funding for the project is provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Detroit-based Skillman Foundation, and local United Ways. The annual data book is available from the Michigan League for Human Services and on the web at www.milhs.org.
The 2010 shows that:
- Childhood poverty rose by 6 percent between 2005 and 2007, with nearly one in every five children in Michigan living in poverty.
- The number of students receiving free or reduced-priced lunches rose 14 percent between 2006 and 2008-more than two of every five public school K-12 students now participate in the School Lunch Program at free or reduced prices.
- Confirmed victims of abuse or neglect jumped an alarming 16 percent between 2000 and 2008, with nearly 30,000 children found to be abused or neglected in 2008.
The report also tracked dramatic differences among the county groups, based on population size. Teens living in rural areas with total population under 20,000, for example, had much higher death rates (82 deaths per 100,000 teens), in part due to the danger of high-risk country roads. The rate of deaths in urban and midsized areas was 56 deaths and, 64 deaths, respectively, per 100,000 teens.
For chart information or to look up historic state or local data, please visit the national Kids Count Data Center.
Michigan Revenue Estimating Conference
This week the State Treasurer and House and Senate Fiscal Agency Directors met for the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference. They agreed that revenue in the current fiscal year, FY 2010, will be $156 million less than was projected in May 2009. Of that total, $51 million is General Fund/General Purpose revenue, and $105 million is School Aid Fund revenue.
For Fiscal Year 2011, General Fund/General Purpose revenues are estimated to be $6.958 billion, or $70 million over FY 2010. School Aid Fund revenues in FY 2011 are estimated at $10.480 billion, or $22.4 million over FY 2010 revenue estimates as revised this morning.
These consensus numbers represent a significant compromise between the bleaker projections of the Senate Fiscal Agency and the more optimistic projections of the House Fiscal Agency and State Treasurer. All parties noted that they will gather again in May, if not sooner, to revisit these estimates before final legislative action on FY 2011 budgets is completed.
A summary of the Revenue Consensus agreement is now available by clicking here.
This document further details the anticipated year-end General Fund and School Aid Fund balances for FY 2010, and the projected revenues for FY 2011. Based on these estimates, which incorporate carry-forward funds from FY 2009, there will be a $72.7 million General Fund surplus and a $53.7 million School Aid Fund surplus in FY 2010. Based on these estimates, there is a projected $1.1 billion General Fund budget shortfall for FY 2011 and a projected $423 million School Aid Fund budget shortfall for FY 2011. (Budget shortfall is defined as the imbalance between estimated revenue and appropriations based on current law/policy.)
These estimates, especially as to FY 2011, assume 1) no increases in state revenue; 2) a continued freeze on statutory local revenue sharing; 3) a continuation of $140 million in funds transfer from the Merit Aware Trust Fund to the General Fund; and 4) no additional federal stimulus funds beyond those already available.
The summary points out that federal ARRA funds are directly supporting almost $1.1 billion in funding that, absent replacement dollars from another source, will decline to $209.6 million in FY 2011.
Workplace Smoking Ban Clears Legislature- Read More (12-11-09)
The Michigan Legislature has passed legislation making it illegal to smoke in most workplaces. After more than a decade of trying to get the legislation passed, supporters scored the critical victory they needed when the Senate backed off its past insistence on a ban in all workplaces and agreed to exempt the three Detroit casino gaming floors from the ban, an exception that the House had insisted upon.
Once the Senate rejected an amendment for a total ban, it passed HB 4377 on a 24-13 vote as nine Republicans joined 15 Democrats to pass the bill. Passage in the House followed about 100 minutes later on a 75-30 vote, sending the legislation to Governor Jennifer Granholm, who has said she will sign it, making Michigan the 38th state with a workplace smoking ban.
Advocates, who for years were shut down in the Legislature, mounted a relentless campaign and prevailed. "Legislators have given Michigan workers the greatest gift of all - the ability to breathe smoke-free air in the workplace," said Susan Schechter, director of advocacy at the American Lung Association of Michigan and spokesperson for the Campaign for Smokefree Air.
President Obama Announces $600 million in Additional Health Spending- Read More (12-10-09)
In an attempt to spike the growth of jobs in the U.S., President Obama has announced he will use $600 million of leftover stimulus money to build community health centers and implement electronic health records.
Restraint and Seclusion in Michigan Schools- Read More (12-2-09)
Representative Deb Kennedy (D-Brownstone) recently introduced Michigan legislation (House Bill 5639) that would eliminate seclusion of schoolchildren and restrict the use of restraint to emergency situations.
Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service (MPAS) has been advocating for this type of legislation for many years. At the very least, disability advocates insist public schools abide by regulatory practices and reporting requirements, as other service sectors are required to do.
Last week, MPAS officially unveiled a report, "Safe and Protected? Restraint and Seclusion Remain Unregulated and Underreported in Michigan Schools” which highlights the use of seclusion and restraint on students with disabilities in schools throughout Michigan. The report is based on investigations and survey accounts from families whose children with disabilities have had personal experience with seclusion and restraint in Michigan schools.