This Week in Review Rina Miller and Jack Lessenberry discuss a plan to put a hold on the creation of new charter schools, Detroit mayor Mike Duggan’s idea for a new regional water authority, and Enbridge’s statement that it hasfixedinternal problems that lead to the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill.
Charter schools
Michigan democrats wanthalt new charter schools until there’s more transparency about how the schools are spending their per-student state aid payments. School operators say the plans is unfair. But Lessenberry says action on the bill won’t happen any time soon.
“Nothing is going to happen this session on charter schools, but it’s drawing lines in the sand, and we’ll see what happens,” Lessenberry says.
The plan comes amidst allegations of abuse and questionable behavior within the charter school system.
Regional water authority plan
Mayor Mike Duggan introduced his idea for a new regional water authority to the Detroit City Council this week. Some Detroit City Council members disagree with the plan, but Lessenberry says that may not matter.
“The city council really doesn’t have the power here, because until the end of this month, there’s still an emergency manager,” Lessenberry says.
Even if the council does vote no, emergency manager Kevyn Orr can override their vote.
Enbridge
Oil company Enbridge says the internal problems that lead to the 2010 spill in the Kalamazoo River have beenfixed.
Lessenberry says there are still concerns.
“While they seem to have fixed this [problem], you never see a disaster before it’s coming, most of the time,” he says.
