By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-989160.mp3
LANSING, MI –
The Michigan Senate approved eliminating a cap on the number of charter schools, but not before a heated debate broke out about bullying. As Michigan Public Radio's Laura Weber reports, the conversation turned over how to best protect kids from being harassed by other kids.
Senator Glenn Anderson tried to tack an amendment onto the charter school bill that would require charter schools to adopt anti-bullying policies. His proposal required lists of reasons kids could not be picked on - including weight, gender, race and sexual orientation. Republicans have traditionally railed against similar bullying lists, and Anderson says that's not acceptable.
"The sad fact is is that there are some people that believe that there are some kids that should be protected and not others," he says.
Republican state Representative Tory Rocca says making lists of who can and cannot be bullied is a terrible idea to protect kids.
"You literally exclude children, and by law say to discriminate some and bully some, but not others," he says.
In the end, all anti-bullying proposals were turned down, and the Senate approved the elimination of the charter school cap by a narrow margin.