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El-Sayed blames outdated funding approach for school woes

Michigan’s public schools suffer from an inadequate funding mechanism, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said in recent comments reported by Fox News. But the state abandoned that approach to funding in 1994.

“Those public schools are deeply underfunded,” El-Sayed told Martha MacCallum during an Oct. 5 interview. “We continue to pattern the way we pay taxes based on property tax.”

Michigan spends an average of $23,867 per pupil, from all sources, and funding has risen more than 30% over the past two years. The national per-pupil average is $16,526, according to Shawn Cooper, education policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

“Mr. El-Sayed’s belief that property taxes are responsible for funding education in the classroom is simply incorrect,” Cooper told Michigan Capitol Confidential. Click here to read more.

 

State Health Dept. Sued Over Forced Unionizing of Michigan Home Caregivers

The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s effort to classify home caregivers as state employees for union representation. The lawsuit seeks to enforce the Michigan Constitution’s rules governing state employment and invalidate the election that certified SEIU Healthcare Michigan as the bargaining representative for home caregivers.

The foundation represents James “Jase” Bolger, a former member of the Michigan Civil Service Commission. Bolger brings the lawsuit as a citizen, as the Michigan Constitution allows any citizen to sue to enforce its civil service provisions.

“Michigan’s Constitution puts safeguards around state employment for a reason: to keep politicians from using it to serve special interests,” said Bolger. Click here to read more.

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Everett Public Schools reaches settlement over Bible study with religious education group

EVERETT, Wash. — Everett Public Schools is making a public apology and giving students time for Bible study.

The district reached a settlement with the non-profit LifeWise, which gives voluntary Bible education to public school students off campus during school hours.

The settlement requires school board members to take religious liberty training, make changes to the district’s policies about religious activities, and pay $275,000 in attorney’s fees, according to First Liberty Institute.

LifeWise is based in Ohio and operates near an estimated 1,200 schools across the U.S. First Liberty Institute, the group representing LifeWise, calls this a victory for students’ and families’ First Amendment rights. Click here to read more.

 

Social Security checks next year won’t keep up with inflation

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Tens of millions of Americans who rely on Social Security benefits will get limited relief from rising prices when they receive monthly checks in 2027.

Payments will increase by an average of $75 per month, the Social Security Administration said Wednesday. The 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment was announced as the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics published September’s Consumer Price Index showing inflation rose 3.7% over 12 months, marking a jump from August’s 3.4%. Between 2025 and 2026, the cost-of-living adjustment was 2.8%.

The Trump administration said next year’s adjustment will give 72 million beneficiaries “greater financial stability.” Click here to read more.

 

Trump DOJ Investigates New Jersey Town for Allegations of ‘Egregious,’ ‘Unjust Delays’ Issuing Gun Licenses

The Civil Rights Division of President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating “whether Pennsauken, New Jersey deprives citizens of their right to bear arms” via “delays in issuing firearm licenses.”

“The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear firearms — including the right to carry firearms. The investigation focuses on the Pennsauken Township Police’s permitting system,” the DOJ explained in a press release Wednesday.

The announcement also noted, “It is a violation of the Second Amendment for government officials to delay issuing permits to purchase or carry firearms. In 2022, the Supreme Court held in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen that a state’s permitting process is put towards ‘abusive ends’ when ‘lengthy wait times in processing license applications or exorbitant fees deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry.’” Click here to read more.