Capitol Correspondent
LANSING – When the news broke Oct. 11 of the school shooting in Cleveland, Kevin Epling knew what one of the causes might be.
"Anytime I hear about or read about these, I have a gut feeling that the bullying aspect is going to come out," Epling said. And Epling knows how bad bullying can be for kids. His own son, Matt, took his life after suffering bullying at his East Lansing high school.
Epling has been involved with school officials and others in pushing for a comprehensive anti-bullying bill – called Matt's Law – to pass the Michigan legislature. It is stalled because of the current budget mess.
The bill would direct all school districts to formulate and implement an anti-bullying policy in their districts and mandate that all school employees know about the policy. But hopes are dim that the bill will move – even when the budget crisis is solved.
The reason? State Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) is chair of the Senate Education Committee and has so far refused to bring the bill up for a hearing, said coalition members including Epling. The bill passed the House in March.
"Last I heard, he was not going to call a hearing on the bill," Epling said.
Derek Smiertka, executive director of Michigan Equality and a member of a coalition working to get Matt's Law passed, said he is not hearing much more discussion beyond the budget and extending term limits.
"I hear a mixture of budgets and extending term limits," Smiertka said. "It's plain and simply disgusting. Our employees are not doing their jobs."
He said he holds out little hope for Matt's Law in the Senate.
"We are trying to negotiate with Senate Republicans on what they want in the bill, but what it comes down to for them is, they don't want sexual orientation in the bill," he said. "The Senate Republicans will say it's not about sexual orientation; they'll say they want more teeth in the legislation with mandated training for all teachers."
Calls to Sen. Kuipers' offices were not returned.
