LANSING ? Eligible Michigan municipalities or school districts could create their own educational promise zones under legislation that cleared the House on a 71-34 vote Thursday before the chamber adjourned for the year.

Eligible areas would be considered those where the percentage of families with children under 18 years of age that are living at or below the poverty level is greater than or equal to the state average of families with 18-year-olds at or below the poverty level. School districts or municipalities, including charter schools and non-public schools, would have to raise private money in order to fully cover the first two years of a promise zone’s operation and then they would be eligible to capture half of the growth in the state education tax.

On the floor, Rep. Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan) proposed an amendment to HB 5375 that would allow students who go to school in a promise zone, but do not live in the same municipality, to access the college tuition coverage.

But Rep. Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills), sponsor of the measure, said the purpose of the legislation is to draw people into a community through educational opportunities and the amendment would defeat that purpose. The amendment failed to get on the bill.

Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Texas Township) then proposed amending the bill to say that promise zone authorities could only use the money for college tuition and not school operations, but Melton argued most of the promise zone money will come from private donations and the state shouldn’t regulate what is done with those funds. The amendment was not added to the bill.

Hoogendyk also failed to get the bill amended to say that all schools within a promise zone would get an equal share of funding.

Another amendment proposed by Rep. Paul Opsommer (R-DeWitt) that would have required the state portion of funding for a promise zone to come from the general fund and not the School Aid Fund was not added to the legislation. However, Rep. Bruce Caswell (R-Hillsdale) said he was concerned the School Aid Fund is in a deficit this year that will have to be addressed and this was putting future pressure on that fund. All of the extra money schools got this year came from a growth in the 18-mill non-homestead property tax, Caswell argued, not the state taxes.

The bill received immediate effect twice, after first being gaveled on and then Republicans asking for a record roll call vote only to have immediate effect granted on a 74-32 vote.

Melton said he was happy to see the bipartisan support for the measure and that as the Legislature is often criticized for only thinking in the short-term, the legislation is a long-term strategy toward getting jobs back to the state though educational opportunities.

“Since the creation of the Kalamazoo Promise, educators and community leaders have cited multiple positive impacts throughout Kalamazoo, including increased graduation rates and college enrollment, and higher property values and a major positive economic impact,” said Rep. Mary Valentine (D-Muskegon), Vice Chair of the House Education Committee. “The Michigan Promise Zone Act is an opportunity to turn our state’s economy around and lead the world in education.”

Detroit’s income tax rates for residents and non-residents would be frozen at 2007 levels for 2008 and 2009 under a changed HB 5105 . The Senate altered the legislation to place a freeze on the rate (under current law it would have to decrease because of certain economic triggers), but did not accept a House version that would have allowed the city to alter its rate regardless of economic triggers. The House voted to concur in Senate changes on a 65-42 vote.

The House also concurred in minor Senate changes to HB 5138 and HB 5139 , which allow individuals to purchase different 529 college saving plans, and HB 4132 , HB 4399 and HB 4936 , which ban lead in various children’s items like jewelry and lunchboxes.

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