House Republicans Work to Solve Michigan’s Literacy Crisis

Lansing, MI – Yesterday, the Republican-led Michigan House took concrete steps towards solving the literacy crisis in Michigan. House Bill 5520, introduced by state Representative Brad Paquette, reinstates the third-grade reading law, which was repealed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer under the 2023-2024 Democrat Trifecta.

The leftist education policies passed by Democrats in the last legislative session allowed schools to continue to push students further in grade level, even if they were struggling to read or keep up with their peers. The result is that many students move on to more difficult material without the tools they need to be successful.

Despite the resounding success of students in Mississippi under literacy initiatives like a third-grade reading law, Democrats threw out Michigan’s own policy. Instead of using the Mississippi Miracle as the blueprint, Lansing Democrats and their activist allies actively worked against the evidence-based reforms that worked in Mississippi.

After years of Democrat control, Michigan has fallen to 44th nationally in literacy.

“House Republicans are the ones actually taking action on our literacy crisis, not just talking about it,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “Sadly, it will take years to undo the damage caused by Gretchen Whitmer over the course of her administration, but we’re thankful that there are leaders in Lansing who care about student success.”