State Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw Township) will serve this term in a familiar role as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Department of Education, a position which he held in his last two terms in office from 2015 to 2018. In his return to this position, Kelly brings decades of public service in education policy roles. He was the Education Policy Advisor to former Governor John Engler and a former chairman of both the House Education Reform Committee and the committee for which he will now again serve as the presiding member.

“I have been an unwavering advocate of funding students over systems for 25 years now, and this new role offers an exciting opportunity to make the state’s spending on education better serve Michigan students,” Kelly said. “Our schooling system has obviously been trending in the wrong direction in recent years, with a clear decline in test scores and subject proficiency. This has all occurred while funding for our education system has continued to hit record highs. Clearly the issue lies not with just the amount of spending for our schools, but with how it has been spent. I hope to play a part in correcting that.”

In addition to his chairmanship position, Kelly has also been appointed to the full House Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittees on General Government, Michigan State Police, and Human Services. During his last three-term tenure in the Michigan House which ended in 2018, Kelly served for four years on the House Appropriations Committee. In his return to the legislature, he will again play a significant role in the House’s appropriations decisions.

“After the reckless, exorbitant spending from Governor Whitmer and the Democrat-led legislature the last two years, we need fiscal responsibility throughout the budget,” Kelly said. “I am eager to serve in a role that will help ensure that happens this term.”