Michigan Welfare Bill Would Cut Benefits For Families With Truant Kids

Michigan welfare cuts could be coming soon state-wide to the families of truant schoolchildren.

In a move pushed by the state’s Republican lawmakers, families with chronically truant kids could end up losing some of their benefits if they don’t correct the issue in a move that is designed to “keep kids in school,” where they will have the “best chance to succeed,” supporters of the law say.

Democrats find it to be an attack on the poor.

According to a report from the Detroit News, the bill passed 26-12 and amendments attempting to “water it down” from Democratic Sens. Coleman Young II of Detroit and Bert Johnson of Highland Park were “overwhelmingly defeated.”

Under the legislation, MLive adds, “If the child is younger than 16, the whole family could lose cash benefits. If the child is 16 or older, they would be removed from the family group, which could continue to receive some assistance.”

“The whole goal here is to make sure that children are in school, because they will succeed and they will have the chance to move ahead in their life if they are in school,” Sen. Judy Emmons, R-Sheridan, said from the Senate floor.

Young disagreed.

“This is not about helping poor people. This is about kicking people while they’re down. It’s wrong. It’s disgusting. It needs to stop.”

While many of his Democratic allies agreed, it didn’t do any good.

This Michigan welfare legislation is not alone in splitting Democrats and Republicans. Throughout the U.S. other efforts are underway to ensure that poor people have some “skin in the game,” so to speak, for the benefits that they get from taxpayers.

This previous report from the Inquisitr is one example, citing instances in Maine and Missouri that could actually ban fish, steak, and sugary snacks.

Missouri lawmakers are wanting to eliminate energy drinks, soda, cookies, chips, steak, and fish from the list of items that are approved for purchase using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while Maine introduced legislation that, if passed, would limit the items that a welfare recipient could buy. In this bill, the program would be only for foods that were deemed “nutritional.”

“This bill just says — look, if we’re going to be giving taxpayer dollars to people appropriately they should use it to buy nutritional foods,” said State Sen. Roger Katz. “Here’s the deal — the food stamp program is the supplemental nutritional assistance program — I’ll emphasize the word nutritional.”

Do you think these and the Michigan welfare cuts target on the poor? Sound off in the comments section.

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