Friday, January 11, 2002

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I introduced legislation that would create the Special Education Protection Act.  The bill is Senate Bill 993.

The legislation, if passed, would require that the current levels of class sizes, special education disability categories, funding for services, the age span requirement for classrooms, and levels of professional and paraprofessional certification standards cannot be reduced by rule.  This bill would establish floors for these levels, and would ensure that the levels are not reduced by rule by the Department of Education.

This is the legislation that was highlighed at the Macomb County press conference a few weeks ago.

If you would like to see a copy of the legislation, you can go to www.michiganlegislature.org and click on SB 993.

I plan to work with special education groups and press for this bill to be taken up in committee.  I have already heard from supporters who want to see this become law. I urge you to contact your own state Senator and ask them to support the bill.  I also urge you to contact Senator Loren Bennett, chair of the Senate Education Committee, and ask him to take up the legislation.

Thank you again for all your help and support.  Be assured that I will continue to push for the protection of special education in Michigan.

Sincerely,

Gary Peters
State Senator