HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION B

January 16, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Pagan, Gay-Dagnogo, Koleszar, Camilleri, Manoogian, Hoadley, Shannon, Garza, Brenda Carter, Kennedy, Cynthia Johnson, Chirkun, Cherry, Sowerby, Bolden, Pohutsky, Hood, Stone, Ellison, Anthony, Garrett, Yancey, Brixie, Sneller, Haadsma, Robinson, Wittenberg, Lasinski, Warren, Rabhi, Jones and Whitsett and referred to the Committee on Education.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state constitution of 1963, by amending section 2 of article VIII, to prohibit public schools from being operated on a for-profit basis or by a for-profit entity.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state constitution of 1963, to prohibit public schools from being operated on a for-profit basis or by a for-profit entity, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the people of the state:

ARTICLE VIII

Sec. 2. The legislature shall maintain and support a system of free public elementary and secondary schools as defined by law. Every school district shall provide for the education of its pupils without discrimination as to religion, creed, race, color or national origin. A public school shall not be operated on a for-profit basis by its governing body. The governing body of a public school shall not contract with any organization or entity to provide comprehensive educational, administrative, management, or instructional services or staff for the public school unless that organization or entity is operated on a nonprofit basis.

No public monies or property shall be appropriated or paid or any public credit utilized, by the legislature or any other political subdivision or agency of the state directly or indirectly to aid or maintain any private, denominational or other nonpublic, pre-elementary, elementary, or secondary school. No payment, credit, tax benefit, exemption or deductions, tuition voucher, subsidy, grant or loan of public monies or property shall be provided, directly or indirectly, to support the attendance of any student or the employment of any person at any such nonpublic school or at any location or institution where instruction is offered in whole or in part to such nonpublic school students. The legislature may provide for the transportation of students to and from any school.

Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be submitted to the people of the state at the next general election in the manner provided by law.