Local State Representative Jenn Hill (D-Marquette) voted in favor of Michigan Senate Bill 63, a bipartisan proposal introduced to expand the capacity of sinking funds by public school districts. The vote occurred on Thursday, April 20, passing with a 6145 approval in the house chamber.

The bill would permit revenue generated from sinking fund millages to be allocated towards the procurement and upkeep of student transportation vehicles, expanding the permissible use of such funds. Presently, sinking fund millage proceeds may only be utilized for the acquisition of school property, building repairs, security enhancements, or technology upgrades.

“This bill has been introduced repeatedly — I’m glad that it finally received a vote on the House floor,” Hill said in a statement. “We know that some communities in the U.P. are faced with challenges in meeting their transportation needs. In many cases, they have sufficient funding, but they’ve been restricted from using it to address this problem. This bill will give our schools the ability to leverage their resources strategically for transportation purposes.”

Previously, comparable bills were proposed in prior sessions; however, they failed to receive a committee hearing. Senate Bill 63 was passed by the Senate on a 28-10 vote after being proposed by State Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia). It was cosponsored by local State Senator Ed McBroom.