This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)

With the legislature gone until Wednesday, August 15, the political goings-on in Lansing right now are centered on the upcoming August 7 primary election (MAKE SURE TO VOTE!). Education wise, the biggest news is that the Protect Our Jobs group topped the fundraising charts for their ballot proposal trying to enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution. The group brought in more than $8 million in contributions in the current quarter and only spent approximately $1.15 million of that, leaving them with $6.91 million cash on hand and more coming in. On a policy front, negotiations on the MPSERS reform bill are ongoing as the conference committee works to hammer out an agreement before lawmakers return for in August.