Anti-gay hate group wants the state to forfeit $400 million if state protects bullying

LANSING -- The Michigan Legislature is burning the midnight oil on Thursday evening and Friday morning to enact the "Race to the Top" package of bills that will position Michigan to receive up to $400 million in federal funds through President Barack Obama's "Race to the Top" program that requires states to enact major reforms to receive the funds.

However, the anti-gay hate AFA of Michigan spent Thursday afternoon instructing their members to bombard lawmaker’s office over possible language in the bills that will require schools to adopt a policy that prohibits harassment or bullying at school, as well as prohibiting the harmful and potentially deadly bullying from telecommunications devices. Somehow, the homophobes are upset because it extends protection to students who may be gay.

The disgusting letters come directly from an AFA press release. Chief homophobe Gary Glenn said his group is "hopeful that Republican state senators won’t allow themselves to be bullied by homosexual activist groups and House Democrats into caving in on this matter of principle in hopes of a payoff from federal tax dollars being dangled by the Obama Administration."

The Race to the Top package does a number of things. It would expand the number of charter schools by allowing current charter school operators to open new charter schools, provide a path for alternative teacher certification and it stipulates that districts with at least 25 percent of their students in the lowest achieving 5 percent of buildings in the state would be run by a CEO appointed by the state superintendent.

Separate versions passed the House and Senate earlier thinks month, and a conference committee consisting if three members of the Senate and three from the House are meeting to reconcile the two versions and come up with a compromise. Once that happens, each body will give it an up or down vote. There can be no amendments or substitutes, and if rejected the bills are dead.

Negotiations have been on and off most of the day, and they are expected to go into the early morning hours.

Apparently, the AFA is claiming language in House-passed version is similar to Matt’s Law. So, if it remains in the conference report, the AFA wants us to miss out on $400 million just because we want to protect gays from violence? That’s simply disgusting.

Matt's Safe School Law is named after Matt Epling, a popular East Lansing middle school student who committed suicide as a result of bullying in school, and it would require public school districts in Michigan to establish bullying policies. It has passed the House with bipartisan support, but the Senate refuses to take it up.

Come to Lansing for All American Lobby Day to stand against bullies

A coalition of Michigan organizations is banding together for All American Lobby Day in Lansing on Wednesday, May 13 to lobby for the passage of Matt's Safe School Law that would require public school districts in Michigan to establish bullying policies.

The anti-bullying legislation, Senate Bill 159, was introduced by Sen. Glenn Anderson, D-Westland, and it would amend the Revised School Code to require schools to adopt a policy that prohibits harassment or bullying at school, as well as prohibiting the harmful and potentially deadly bullying from telecommunications devices. The bill specifies that all minorities, including religious and racial minorities and youth with disabilities, are protected.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10 percent are bullied on a regular basis. This year alone five students in the United States have died due to bullying.

A similar bill passed the House last session, but it died when the Senate declined to take up the bill. Anderson also introduced the same bill last session, but the Republican controlled Senate refused to give it a hearing. Although the bill had bipartisan support, it was killed by Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt. The main opposition has come from extremist rightwing groups, such as the anti-gay hate groups the American Family Association (AFA) of Michigan because it extends protection to students who may be gay.

The law is named after Matt Epling, a popular East Lansing middle school student who committed suicide as a result of bullying in school.

Among those organizing All American Lobby Day include Project Light, National HRC, White House LGBT Task Force, Michigan Equality, University of Michigan College Democrats, Michigan Democratic Youth Caucus, American Family Committee and the Order of St. John the Beloved (Catholic Order).

He lobby day will kick off at 9 a.m. with training at Teamsters local 580, 5800 Executive Dr. in Lansing, and a press conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. on the glass floor rotunda in the Capitol.