Representatives,

Two Ipod stories below from our press conference today to end the controversy.

Schoolchildren won't get iPods

April 12, 2007

BY DAWSON BELL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Michigan legislators won't be giving away iPods to schoolchildren, and said Thursday they never intended to in the first place.

In addition, three House Democrats who were guests of iPod maker Apple in California earlier this year will reimburse the company $1,700 each in order to end a controversy that has gotten "out of control," said state Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills.

Melton said widespread reports that House Democrats were proposing to spend $38 million on iPods for every Michigan public school child were based on a misunderstanding of comments made by Rep. Matthew Gillard, D-Alpena at a news conference last week.

The proposal is to promote the use of technology generally and isn't linked to any specific technology, Melton said.

Melton said he and Gillard and Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, decided to cover the cost of their March trip to California, paid for by Apple, because media reports about the iPods and the trip were becoming a "distraction" from work on the state budget crisis.

Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.

Michigan students won't get iPods; lawmakers will repay Apple for trip
Charlie Cain / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- Three Michigan lawmakers who took a trip to California last month paid for by Apple Inc. to learn about educational technology will reimburse the company $1,702 each.

"The only reason we're paying for it is to end this public perception that something is misguided," said Rep. Tim Melton, D-Pontiac.

Melton, chairman of the House Education Policy Committee, said House Democrats erred last week when they announced that they planned to put $38 million into the budget to buy iPods for students. He said that was never the plan, but it was reported in the Michigan press and then picked up by the nation's media. He said the "iPod controversy" has become a national joke.

"We did the press a great disservice and we're deeply sorry for that," said Melton.

The other two lawmakers who went on the California trip were House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, and Rep. Matthew Gillard, D-Alpena, who is the chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on education. It was Gillard who held an iPod up before reporters when talking about the plans to put more technology into the classroom.

Gillard said Dillon, who did not attend today's new conference, was "greatly disappointed" by the flap over iPods.

"There was never a plan to provide an iPod for every child in the state of Michigan," Melton said.

He said that because of the state's budget crisis the entire $38 million proposal could be scrapped. He said most of the proposed money would actually be used for teacher development on ways to make technology as much of the classroom environment as a chalkboard.