Ann Arbor lawmaker named top Democrat on state House Education Committee

Washtenaw County's representatives in the Michigan Legislature have landed some key committee assignments for the new legislative session.

That includes one of Ann Arbor's lawmakers stepping up to become the top Democrat on the House Education Committee.

State Rep. Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor, has been selected to serve as Democratic vice chairman of the House Education Committee.

Zemke also will continue to serve on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, sitting on the subcommittee on the School Aid Fund and serving as Democratic vice chairman of the subcommittee on Capital Outlay.

With those committee responsibilities, Zemke will be in on the ground floor for state education policy and funding discussions. "I will work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to create and fund policies so every child, whether they live in Ann Arbor, Detroit or Escanaba, can receive the highest-quality education," Zemke said.

Zemke said ensuring Michigan has a well-educated workforce is critical for high employment and economic competitiveness.

In his first term, Zemke was successful in getting funding for the Michigan STEM grant program and the Michigan GED-to-School program that makes GED testing free. He also worked on bipartisan legislation to try to establish better standards for evaluating teachers and administrators, something still on his agenda.

Zemke said he'll be pushing for year-round school legislation and he hopes to see it piloted in at-risk school districts. "If you decrease the long gaps in between periods that are caused by things like summer vacation, particularly in high-poverty communities, research shows you really make a difference," he said, adding it's shown to be effective at helping to close the achievement gap.

In his role on the Capital Outlay Subcommittee, Zemke said he intends to push for state funding for renovations to the University of Michigan's dental school and Eastern Michigan University's Strong Hall, part of EMU's science complex.

Irwin also is the Democratic vice chairman of the House subcommittees on Corrections and State Police, and he is on the Higher Education Subcommittee.

State Rep. Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline, is Democratic vice chairwoman of the Elections Committee, and she is on the Communications & Technology Committee.

State Rep. David Rutledge, D-Superior Township, is assigned to three House committees, including Transportation, Local Government and Military & Veterans Affairs. He is Democratic vice chairman of the latter.

Irwin and Rutledge, who are beginning their final two-year terms in the House, say they will continue championing progressive values and middle-class priorities.

"I'm excited about the upcoming session," Irwin said. "I'm hopeful that Michigan will make progress on issues like clean energy and energy efficiency."

Rutledge said the Legislature ended the last session on a high note. "Democrats and Republicans came together to pass a road funding measure that would provide adequate resources to repair our roads and educate our children, while also providing tax relief for our working poor," he said. "My hope is that we will continue that sense of bipartisanship into the new term."

Driskell and Zemke are starting their second two-year terms after serving two years in the House.

"In my first term, I worked on a number of issues for my constituents, including broadband accessibility and finding sustainable solutions to access natural resources," Driskell said. "While a lot was accomplished ... there's still a lot to be done."

Zemke is going to be the co-chairperson of the House Democrats campaign committee for the 2016 election.

Committee assignments also have been announced for the Legislature's upper chamber.

Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, is on the Senate Finance Committee and is Democratic vice chairwoman of the committees on Natural Resources, Regulatory Reform and Michigan Competitiveness.

State Sen. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg, is the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and he is on the Energy & Technology Committee. He also is the vice chairman of the Health Policy Committee.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com or 734-623-2529 or follow him on Twitter.

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