A fight for teachers weakens Detroit schools.

Like many school leaders in Detroit, Danielle Robinson spent the month of August doggedly searching for teachers.

Robinson is the top Detroit official for Phalen Leadership Academies, a nonprofit charter school network that took over three Detroit schools from another manager in July.

By late August, with the start of school just days away, Phalen still needed 34 teachers to staff Murphy, Stewart and Trix elementary schools.

And there wasn’t much time.

“We did $5,000 retention bonuses,” Robinson said. “We did $5,000 signing bonuses. We did $1,000 referral bonuses … We needed to make sure we had enough teachers because that’s a huge thing for students when they come back — a permanent teacher in the classroom.”

Read more: http://www.bridgemi.com/detroit-journalism-cooperative/fight-teachers-weakens-detroit-schools

Dan Gilbert now wants $618M in state taxpayer money for his Detroit projects

On Nov. 21, Metro Times and other outlets reported that Dan Gilbert requested $250 million in Michigan taxpayer funds to help pay for four projects he's planning in downtown Detroit.

It turns out that's only part of the story — Gilbert really wants $618 million. That means Michigan taxpayers will cover nearly 30 percent of the four projects' costs, which are estimated to total $2.1 billion. And the law allows him to come back for more money for different projects next year.

Though all the tax money will come from the state, the Detroit City Council had to approve $250 million for Bedrock, Gilbert's development company, on Nov. 21. That figure appeared to be the full amount requested. But Michigan Economic Development Corporation documents provided to Metro Times on Friday show that Bedrock is really seeking $618 million from the state.

t now only needs a final approval from the MEDC in March.

Gilbert — who is Michigan's second wealthiest resident and worth an estimated $5.8 billion — says that he can't do the projects without taxpayer funds, but the documents raise questions about that. They show that two of the projects are in progress or will be underway long before March.

Read more: https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2017/12/04/dan-gilbert-now-wants-618m-in-state-taxpayer-money-for-his-detroit-projects

Texas House changes sexual harassment reporting rules

THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS: A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Fantasy gaming, eyewear sales tax among bills getting Statehouse votes

Ohio lawmakers this week voted to legalize and regulate fantasy gaming, exempt prescription eyewear from the sales tax and keep high school students better-informed of career choices.

The Ohio Senate passed a bill that would hand regulation of fantasy sports gaming, such as those offered by online sites DraftKings and FanDuel, over to the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Players pay to select individual athletes who score points based on their performance in games, with the highest scores winning cash payouts.

Games would be exempt from state gambling laws.

The bill prohibits an operator from offering fantasy contests for youth or college sports, and prohibits employees of a gaming site from participating in the games.

Without the bill, Ohioans could be left exposed with no recourse if a gaming site operates unfairly or fraudulently, said Sen. Dave Burke, R-Marysville.

Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171130/fantasy-gaming-eyewear-sales-tax-among-bills-getting-statehouse-votes

Ohio's abortion-clinic inspections more frequent under Kasich

Since Republican Gov. John Kasich took office, state health inspectors have reported 17 times as many violations a year in Ohio abortion clinics as during the tenure of his predecessor, Democrat Ted Strickland.

Although no one can prove a cause and effect absolutely, hundreds of records examined by The Dispatch show that not only the number of violations but also the types of violations found at abortion clinics during the health department’s inspections during the past 10 years have differed greatly depending on who is the governor.

Only a handful of administrative violations — staff-performance evaluation, infection-control policies and procedures, disaster planning and transfer agreement — were found at Ohio’s current eight clinics in the four years when Strickland was governor.

A wider range of violations, including “safety and sanitation” and “adverse events,” have been found in the almost-seven years that Kasich has served. For example, an oral-suction machine at one abortion facility was found coated with a heavy layer of dust and dirt.

Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171202/ohios-abortion-clinic-inspections-more-frequent-under-kasich

Jerry Springer Will Not Run for Ohio Governor

"I don't want to add to the circus," Jerry Springer said yesterday on his podcast, informally announcing that he will not be running for Ohio governor next year.

The one-time Cincinnati mayor had hinted at a possible run — an idea that was then fueled by media and political speculation for months. This week, we can all stop wondering about Jerry's intent.

But "big names" Richard Cordray and Dennis Kucinich are still out there, though.

Cordray just stepped down amid a blaze of Washington heat from his post at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It seems more likely than ever that he will join the circus within the week.

https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2017/11/30/jerry-springer-will-not-run-for-governor
(short article)

Anti-abortion club says Miami University policies "chill" free speech

A student anti-abortion club filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Miami University, saying it abandoned its annual “cemetery of the innocents” display on the Hamilton campus after the college demanded that warning signs be placed ahead of the display.

Wait, call off the lawyers! A Miami spokeswoman called the flap an “unfortunate misunderstanding” Thursday. Claire Wagner says the university does not require warning signs. The cemetery display, she says, can go on.

The suit, filed by Students for Life at Miami University and its four top officers, accused the college of violating their constitutional right to free speech. Miami is a public university. The club wanted to plant small crosses in the Hamilton campus’ Central Quad to maximize exposure.

“These past cemetery of the innocents displays have persuaded multiple women who were pregnant and considering abortion to change their minds and choose life for their unborn children,” says the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.

Read more: http://www.citybeat.com/news/article/20984462/antiabortion-club-says-miami-university-policies-chill-free-speech

Despite ethics violation, West Virginia Senate committee adds Capehart as counsel

The West Virginia Senate Finance Committee hired a former state official who paid out $10,000 as the result of a 2015 ethics investigation as its legal counsel.

Robin Capehart, the former Secretary of Tax and Revenue under Gov. Cecil Underwood and former West Liberty University president, will join the staff, according to a news release.

Both Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, and newly appointed Senate Finance Chairman Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, issued supportive statements in the release.

In June 2015, Capehart entered into a conciliation agreement with the West Virginia Ethics Commission. He admitted to one of 13 charges filed against him, all centered around using employees and resources of West Liberty University, while he served as its president, to bolster his private film company.

Read more: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/despite-ethics-violation-wv-senate-committee-adds-capehart-as-counsel/article_5a6bd1d6-0503-54e2-aea5-30f11754602d.html

Legislation would impose fines for late audit submissions

After the state submitted an important financial audit to the federal government late for a third year in a row, the West Virginia Legislature is looking for ways to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

A draft bill presented to lawmakers during a legislative interim meeting Sunday would, if introduced and passed in the upcoming session, require annual training to comply with the audit process, strengthen financial reporting requirements and impose penalties when agencies turn in information late.

There was no discussion about the bill after it was explained by an attorney for the Legislature. Although state officials have said the audit is on track to be submitted on time this year it’s unclear how much of a difference it would make to the process in years to come.

The Legislature has previously looked at ways to strengthen the audit process, but newfound attention is on the issue after the U.S. Department of Education sanctioned every public college for the state’s misdeeds.

Read more: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislation-would-impose-fines-for-late-audit-submissions/article_335e6469-46ce-5819-955d-c53f74abf3ad.html