Articles of Interest 4-27-06
Bill Clinton’s old buddy Vernon Jordan hosted a fundraiser for Governor Jennifer Ganholm in D.C. last night. We understand why the Governor had to go out of state to find folks willing to support her, primarily those who didn’t know what kind of job she had done as Governor….we decided to organize a road trip and have the the Granholm Jobs Clock ticking away at the front door of the event.
Washington’s liberal elites came to Mr. Jordan’s house and notice the “jobs clock” ticking away as Michigan families lost one job for every twenty minutes this Governor remains in office. Our boys handed out “pink slips” with the latest employment statistics for Michigan and made it clear….while 49 other states had gained over 5.1 million jobs since the summer of 2003….Michigan was the ONLY state in the country to lose jobs over the last three years.
Worst yet, Michigan was the only state in the country to lose jobs last year that wasn’t hit by a hurricane! Michigan deserves better.
Governor Granholm likes to say she will go anywhere and talk to anyone about bringing jobs to Michigan….we’ll, save the taxpayers some money. Whatever the “plan” is your “working” - isn’t….we will go anywhere and show everybody that Michigan continues to lose one job for every twenty minutes your in office. We’re can do better!!!
To see a picture of Vernon Jordan’s house and the “jobs clock” go to:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2006/04/jobs_clock_goes.html
Here is a great discussion by Newt Gingrich as to where we are on the immigration issue and where we should go from here. I would highly recommend it for your consideration and reading:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2006/04/newt_on_immigra.html
Pizza & Politics in Detroit was a great success last night. Party acitivist from across Detroit and the surrounding area came out to talk politics, meet and greet candidates and have some pretty good munchies.
We also had a few “Democrats for DeVos” show up. One guy I talked to wasn’t ready to become a Republican yet….but said he was sure ready to vote for Dick DeVos. Join the crowd…it seems to be growing day by day.
Earlier in the evening Oakland County hosted their annual “Salute to Justice” event. A record breaking crowd showed up to hear L. Brooks Patterson “get the event going”. Oakland County Republicans honored some of Michigans’ finest jurist, shared some hospitality and got a chance to talk a little politics. You want to talk about a great crop of possible federal judges….well, only if we could get Levin and Stabenow to stop obstructing the process??? Maybe a Republican U.S. Senator would help…yeh!!!
Listen to our weekly debate/discussion between Democrat State Chairman Mark Brewer and myself every Thursday morning, between 9:15am - 10:00am, as we discuss the issues of the day.
The show is NOT recorded, but you can listen to it live at the stations listed below, or live on the internet at their web site.
"The Big Show with Dave Scott" on the Michigan Talk Network:
WJIM 1240 Lansing
WTRX 1330 Flint/Saginaw
WMMI 830 Mt Pleasant
WKMI 1360 Kalamazoo
WSCG 1380 Greenville
WBCH 1220 Hastings
WODJ 1490 Muskegon
WWKK 750 Petoskey
WJML 1110 Petoskey
WDJM 1320 Marquette
WIAN 1240 Ishpeming
And live on the Internet on the home page of:
http://www.mlive.com/talkradio/audio/index.ssf?/talkradio/audio/live.html
If you need to download a "free" version of "real" software to listen on-line goto:
Saul Anuzis
State Stories
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/04/granholm_job_cl.html
Granholm Job Clock Follows Gov To DC
Seen outside Vernon Jordan's house in Georgetown: the MI GOP's Granholm Job Loss Clock.
DeVos calls for capping sales tax on gasoline
By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN
The Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — As gasoline prices hover around $3 a gallon, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos says it's time to cap the sales tax charged on gasoline.
He wants the state to collect the 6 percent tax on only the first $1.95 per gallon. The move would save motorists 6 cents for each dollar that gasoline prices move above $1.95. AAA Michigan said Monday that the statewide average price of gasoline is $2.91 per gallon.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/UPDATE/604260437
Granholm offers support to Detroit
David Josar / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday her working relationship with Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has never been stronger, and reiterated that Michigan needs all the help it can get to preserve jobs.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/OPINION01/604270318/1008
GOP welfare reform plan makes sense for Michigan
Tougher federal rules require welfare-to-work reform
Michigan welfare reform is on the agenda again, and this time it should stick. House Republicans offered a revised plan Wednesday that highlights accountability, but also provides better measures to help people get off public assistance.
Reform is needed because Michigan stands to lose about $100 million in federal money in the next year if more welfare recipients don't find their way into the work force. It's also necessary because many Michigan residents who get public aid do so longer than those in many surrounding states and have little incentive to separate themselves from the system.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS04/604270655/1006
Shuffle makes attorney a judge
Prosecutor to take justice's job when he takes another
Two new judges. One new robe.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced the appointment Wednesday of District Judge John C. Foster to fill a vacancy on the Macomb County Circuit Court. And to replace him on the District Court bench, Granholm tapped Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor Sheila Miller.
Miller is believed to be the first female African-American judge in Macomb County history.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/OPINION02/604270532/1068
Give Detroit its due
If the state Legislature does the expected this week and advances a plan to give Michigan cities more revenue sharing money from Lansing, fairness dictates that Detroit be treated the same.
Yet House Republicans want to afford Detroit roughly a third of the raise other cities receive. This is wrong and sends a disturbing message to residents of the state's largest city.
House panel advances plan for university funding
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Some public universities would get state funding increases of more than 4 percent in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 under a plan advanced by a House subcommittee Wednesday.
The House funding plan, in general, is more generous than plans endorsed by the state Senate or proposed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. But a few universities, particularly Wayne State University, could come out worse under the House proposal than the other plans.
House approves bills that would strip election board's power
By TIM MARTIN
The Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Legislation that would strip power from a state elections board is headed to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's desk.
Granholm, a Democrat, does not support the legislation, so a veto is possible.
House plan would call for a state trooper school
By TIM MARTIN
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State Police would get $2.5 million to train a new group of troopers under a plan advanced Wednesday in a state House subcommittee.
The money would prepare about 50 more troopers for the state police force, which Republican lawmakers said should be a high priority in an era of increasing demands on law enforcement.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/042606/loc_2006042604.shtml
Expert: Move will not affect gas prices much
President Bush's decision to suspend purchases of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to ease rising gas prices isn't likely to have much of an effect.
Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm asked state lawmakers to join in an online petition asking President Bush to support a cap on oil profits.
An online petition launched Friday afternoon has drawn 106,000 signatures of support from people in 38 states, said Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd.
The Republican-controlled Legislature isn't likely to participate.
Michigan House Speaker Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, is dismissive of the governor's request.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS06/604270665/1008
Redone report shows tribe gave to Stabenow
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Debbie Stabenow's campaign corrected her campaign finance reports to show that some donations from 2002 and 2003 came from an Indian tribe then represented by now-disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, not an individual as she reported at the time.
Stabenow's campaign originally reported that $4,000 in donations came from Christopher Petras, who was the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's legislative director at the time.
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013887.php
When is a Democrat Not a Democrat?
When she returns contributions from Jack Abramoff's Indian tribe clients. The Associated Press reports on Senator Debbie Stabenow's refunding of a contribution from the Saginaw Chippewa tribe without ever mentioning that Stabenow is a Democrat, even though the party affiliations of all other politicians mentioned in the article are given in the usual way.
Stabenow corrects finance records connected to tribe donations
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Debbie Stabenow's campaign has corrected her campaign finance reports to show that some donations from 2002 and 2003 came from an Indian tribe then represented by now-disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, not an individual as she reported at the time.
Stabenow's campaign originally reported that $4,000 in donations came from Christopher Petras, who was the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's legislative director at the time. The donations came during a period in which Stabenow and other Michigan lawmakers sought funding for the tribe and wrote letters to federal regulators on the tribe's behalf.
http://www.dailypress.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=1729
Bouchard getting Capitol Hill money
By George Weeks
DETROIT — As he campaigns for the Republican primary to oppose Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard shrugs off questions about whom he favors among GOP prospects for the presidential race in 2008.
But political action committees of two of those prospects have contributed to Bouchard’s campaign — $5,000 from Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and $3,000 from Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a native of Oakland County and son of the late Gov. George Romney.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/OPINION01/604270334/1086/opinion
On money: Land's plan to tighten campaign rules deserves immediate passage
Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land's plan to improve campaign finance rules isn't the be-all, end-all of reform.
But it's not a bad start. In fact, lawmakers of both parties have no excuse to oppose her plan - unless they want to argue current rules actually advance the public interest.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/columns-2/1146065006285230.xml&coll=7
More transparency in campaign finance
Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has unveiled a comprehensive set of reforms designed to make it easier for voters to follow the money in campaign finance.
Land, who is known for her embrace of computer technology, is proposing much-needed ``real-time'' campaign finance reporting.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS04/604270336/1005/news04
House OKs ethics-related insurance bills
Companies would have right to refuse certain procedures
By Tim Martin
Insurance companies and HMOs would not have to provide health care benefits that conflict with the organization's moral or religious mission under legislation passed Wednesday by the state House.
The bill's passage was cheered by Right to Life of Michigan supporters, who were in the House chamber's balcony as the bills passed.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS01/604270339/1001/news
State Supreme Court will decide whether voters must show ID
Current law deemed unconstitutional in '97 by Michigan AG
The state Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether Michigan can require voters to show photo ID, entering a decade-long political fray over issues such as election fraud and voter intimidation.
The court voted 5-2 to issue an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of a 1997 state law requiring voters to show photo identification to get a ballot. A court spokeswoman said the ruling will be binding, though it could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS01/604270348/1001/news
Gas cost may aid state's tourism
GRAND RAPIDS - The people in Michigan's travel and tourism industry worry more about the likelihood of a cold rain than rising fuel prices.
"Weather trumps everything else. We have data to support that," said Donald Holecek, director of Michigan State University's Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center in East Lansing.
Tourists can expect to spend $3 or more for a gallon of gasoline this summer in Michigan but fuel costs aren't forecast to put much of a crimp in statewide leisure travel.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1146062712190220.xml&coll=6
Gay-Straight Alliance brings parent concerns
ADA TOWNSHIP -- A student at Forest Hills Eastern High/Middle School saw a club announcement on a TV screen and shared it with his parents.
"What's GSA?" he asked.
The answer -- Gay-Straight Alliance -- has kept Forest Hills administrators busy.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/NEWS06/604270596/1008
Foreign inmates cost state
Big savings from deportations urged
More than 700 foreign nationals are confined in Michigan prisons, including 138 who could be deported in short order at substantial savings to state taxpayers, according to a report released Wednesday by a prison watchdog group.
Using Department of Corrections data, the Citizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending report found 731 foreign nationals in Michigan prisons as of Feb. 3. Of those, 138 have served their minimum terms and could be immediately deported if paroled, said Barbara Levine, executive director of the alliance.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/AUTO01/604270364/1148
UAW's member drop hurts funds
Income from dues fell 4.5% in 2005, but its total assets increased by $50 million, report says.
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Hurt by a decline in membership, the United Auto Workers union saw its dues income drop 4.5 percent last year to $197 million.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/AUTO01/604270424/1148
Big Three CEOs, Bush set to meet
May meeting will focus on energy, pensions, health care; bailouts are not on the agenda, Bill Ford says.
Micheline Maynard / New York Times
DEARBORN -- President Bush, who touched a nerve this year when he told Detroit carmakers to build "relevant" vehicles, will meet with the companies' leaders next month, Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. said Wednesday.
People involved in planning the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the high level of the talks, said it would focus on three areas: energy and the environment; costs like pensions and health care premiums that add hundreds of dollars to the price of a Detroit car; and how currency issues affect Japanese automakers.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/OPINION03/604270408
Nolan Finley
Ex-Detroiter: From cancer to White House
Former Detroit News editor, columnist takes long road to role as presidential spokesman
A year ago, nobody was betting on Tony Snow's future. My old Detroit News colleague was lying in a Washington, D.C., hospital, recovering from the surgery that had removed a very advanced cancerous tumor, and along with it much of his colon.
Those of us who know and love Tony and his family were saying all the right things about his prospects, but without much conviction.
National Stories
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/POLITICS/604270306/1022
Portrait captures Bill but where's his ring?
Glenn Thrush / Newsday
WASHINGTON -- Does Bill Clinton's new portrait have the ring of truth?
The picture, depicting the 42nd president with left hand jauntily perched on hip, faithfully renders Clinton's enigmatic half-smile along with details of the Oval Office. But where's the man's wedding ring?
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IMMIGRATION?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Sens. say Bush favors citizenship plan
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush generally favors plans to give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship without leaving the country, but does not want to be more publicly supportive because of opposition among conservative House Republicans, according to senators who attended a recent White House meeting.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_ETHICS?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
House nears vote on lobbying, ethics bill
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House approached a critical vote on lobbying and ethics legislation with broad agreement that something must be done to restore public trust in Congress but substantial differences over what should be in the bill.
Among the undecided issues were whether privately sponsored travel for members should be banned or just better regulated, and how best to reduce earmarks, those pet projects inserted in bigger bills that have become symbols of fiscal waste and unsavory ties with the lobbyists pushing the projects.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/POLITICS/604270370/1022
Supreme Court clashes over execution style
One justice says lethal-injections wouldn't be used on cats and dogs; second argues executions need not be pain-free
Gina Holland / Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court justices clashed Wednesday over how states execute killers, with one court member saying lethal-injection drugs would not be used on cats and dogs and a second arguing executions do not have to be pain-free.
The court blocked Florida, at the last minute, from executing Clarence Hill in January, as Hill lay on a gurney with IV lines in his arms.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/POLITICS/604270339/1022
Ours is not-so-United States of America
On key issues, states go off in radically different directions; can so much diversity be reconciled?
Pam Belluck / New York Times
After Massachusetts became the first state to enact near-universal health care coverage this month, Robert E. Travaglini, the state Senate president, allowed himself a bit of bravado.
"This is going to be a template for the rest of the nation to follow, and not just this," Travaglini crowed, rattling off a list of recent Massachusetts milestones. "We did this for same-sex marriage; we did this for stem cell research. Massachusetts is at the head of the curve."
Ahead of the curve for some, perhaps.
But for those sitting in, say, South Dakota, which recently enacted a law that bans all abortions except those necessary to save the life of the mother, Massachusetts might look more like it has gone off the deep end. And vice versa.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042602352.html
Showtime at the White House
By Ari Fleischer
Thursday, April 27, 2006; Page A27
The Washington press corps -- working in an industry that's been transformed by talk radio, 24-hour cable news and the Internet -- still views the White House briefing room as it was back in the 1950s -- or the '60s, '70s, '80s or even early '90s. Despite dramatic changes forged by live coverage and instant analysis, the press fondly adheres to the notion that the briefing can be conducted the way it used to be.
But as Tony Snow, the new White House press secretary, will soon discover, the briefing is no longer a briefing, it's a TV show.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042602385.html
Republican Disarray in California
Thursday, April 27, 2006; Page A27
SAN DIEGO -- The baroque process of picking a replacement for jailed Republican former representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham has made California's 50th Congressional District inscrutable. It will be deciphered by the evening of June 6.
On April 11 the district voted on 18 candidates -- 14 of them Republicans. If one had received more than 50 percent, he or she would have Cunningham's seat, at least until this November's election. Democrat Francine Busby, 55, a women's studies lecturer who in 2004 won 36 percent running against Cunningham, finished first, but with only 43.7 percent, about what Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry won in the 50th in 1996, 2000 and 2004 -- 45, 43 and 44 percent, respectively. So Republicans heaved sighs of relief, thinking the seat is safe. They sighed prematurely.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042600849.html
Rove Testifies 5th Time On Leak
Bush Aide Is Said To Be Unsure if He Will Be Indicted
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 27, 2006; Page A01
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove sought to convince a federal grand jury yesterday that he did not provide false statements in the CIA leak case, testifying for more than three hours before leaving a federal courthouse unsure whether he would be indicted, according to a source close to the presidential aide.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042602141.html
Pain at Pumps May Be Felt at Polls
As Gas Prices Soar, Voters Want to Send a Message to Lawmakers
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 27, 2006; Page A01
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 26 -- One of the soaring bridges to the beach here is named for longtime Republican congressman E. Clay Shaw Jr., and at its foot is a gas station where drivers on Wednesday were filling up, wincing at the tally and wondering whom to blame.
Gasoline prices have reached $3 a gallon in the area, and for Shaw, a former mayor and a political institution here, the rising bipartisan disgruntlement at the pumps is a troubling sign. Here and in other swing districts across the country, the Democratic challenger is attacking the Republican incumbent for inaction -- or worse -- on gas prices and other energy woes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042602576.html
Senate Report Urges Dismantling of FEMA
A New Agency, With More Funding and Authority, Would Be Built in Homeland Security Department
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 27, 2006; Page A03
Hurricane Katrina exposed flaws in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security that are "too substantial to mend," and FEMA should be dismantled and rebuilt inside the troubled department, according to the final report by Senate investigators.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/business/27oil.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Second Thoughts in Congress on Oil Tax Breaks
WASHINGTON, April 26 — As anxiety spread in Congress on Wednesday over soaring oil prices, lawmakers in both parties said they were ready to take a tough look at oil and gas incentives they passed as recently as eight months ago.
Citing record industry profits and huge executive pay packages, the top Republican and top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee asked the Internal Revenue Service to turn over tax returns for the nation's 15 biggest oil and gas companies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/washington/27cong.html
With G.O.P. in Command, Senate Votes to Shift Money From Iraq War to Border Security
WASHINGTON, April 26 — Prodded by Republicans, the Senate voted on Wednesday to trim President Bush's financing request for the Iraq war by $1.9 billion and to use that money to improve border security.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/world/asia/27nepal.html
Nepal's Maoist Rebels Announce a Cease-Fire
KATMANDU, Nepal, April 26 — Maoist rebels, apparently making a good-will gesture, announced a unilateral three-month cease-fire late on Wednesday and suspended a crippling three-week road blockade that had cut off the transport of essential goods into the capital.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/world/middleeast/27iran.html
Iran Threatens Retaliation if Attacked
TEHRAN, April 26 — Iran's supreme religious leader vowed Wednesday that Iran would retaliate "twofold" if it were attacked by the United States over its refusal to comply with demands regarding its nuclear activities. He made his comments as other senior Iranians traveled to Vienna just days ahead of the deadline for international monitors to report on Iran's nuclear program.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008294
United 93
The filmmakers got it right.
BY DAVID BEAMER
The calendar says it's April 25, 2006. At noon, my wife, Peggy, and I are walking around Battery Park--near the Tribeca area--in New York. It is our first time. The flowers are blooming; kids are fishing; people boarding the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Kids are laughing and noisy. The sun is shining. The vendors are hawking T-shirts, pretzels and some "designer" wares. And just up the street there is a hole in the skyline and in the ground.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110008292
The Big Three
Here's what the president should focus on in his last thousand days.
The meme is out there: "A thousand days." That's how long the Bush administration has in office (or had, to be precise, as of yesterday).
To criticize the White House--if the criticism is serious, well-grounded and well-meant--is helpful, and part of a long and good tradition. But allowing philosophical estrangement to leave you wishing the administration ill is to give in to the destructive spirit of the age. That too has a tradition, but not a good one. Five years ago this September history took a dark turn, and though we can forget it in the day to day, we're all in this together.
In that spirit, a plan for the thousand days.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/cc/?id=110008293
Educating From the Bench
Judges order legislators to spend more on schools, and taxpayers see less in return.
BY JAY P. GREENE
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.--Spending on public schools nationwide has skyrocketed to $536 billion as of the 2004 school year, or more than $10,000 per pupil. That's more than double per pupil what we spent three decades ago, adjusted for inflation--and more than we currently spend on national defense ($494 billion as of 2005). But the argument behind lawsuits in 45 states is that we don't spend nearly enough on schools. Spending is so low, these litigants claim, that it is in violation of state constitutional provisions requiring an "adequate" education. And in almost half the states, the courts have agreed.
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=14359&o=ANN001
It's Hard Out Here for a Pump
by Ann Coulter
I would be more interested in what the Democrats had to say about high gas prices if these were not the same people who refused to let us drill for oil in Alaska, imposed massive restrictions on building new refineries, and who shut down the development of nuclear power in this country decades ago.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/gingrich200604261230.asp
Honesty in Immigration
We need a firm foundation of law.
The thousands of people we have seen marching in the streets of our cities and the planned May 1 boycott to protest U.S. immigration policy are the product of two decades of a fundamentally dishonest immigration system.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/P149330.asp
How China is winning the oil race
Is America too ethical to have cheap gasoline?
That is the inescapable question presented to U.S. investors and policy makers as pump prices soar following a state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao.
MIRS Capitol Capsule, Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Supremes Agree To Look Into Photo ID Question
The Supreme Court agreed today to take the rare step of issuing an advisory opinion on whether a law Republicans snuck through last year that requires voters to show a photo ID before receiving a ballot violates either the U.S. Constitution or the state constitution.
The court is giving the Bureau of Elections, the Michigan Democratic Party and the Michigan Republican Party 84 days to file briefs on the issue, signaling to House Speaker Craig DeROCHE (R-Novi), who asked for the advisory opinion, that the high court is willing to resolve the issue before the Nov. 7 election and possibly the Aug. 8 primary.
That's important, DeRoche said, in light of the 2005 mayoral elections in Detroit, which exposed some irregularities in the election process. These irregularities have no place in the next set of elections, he said.
"We have to take those allegations seriously because every vote counts, or it should," DeRoche said. "We need to ensure the sanctity of the voting process."
The question involves a voter reform bill the Republicans slipped through the Legislature last year. As originally advertised, SB 0513 gave school districts more freedom in choosing their election dates. But buried in the final version of what eventually became PA 71 of 2005 was a requirement that voters show photo ID before casting a ballot.
This issue of photo ID has been a big battle between Republicans and Democrats for years. Republicans say they're concerned about people trying some funny business at the polls. Democrats say they're concerned that this restricts people from voting, specifically the poor, who may not happen to have a photo ID with them when they vote.
Now that this requirement is law, Republicans want to make sure the Supreme Court has its say on the matter. In 1996, Attorney General Frank KELLEY said requiring a photo ID was "unnecessary" because there had been no evidence of impropriety in the voting process.
But that changed during the last voting cycle in Detroit, where there were some alleged irregularities, DeRoche said.
Today's Supreme Court vote was approved by all five of the panel's Republican-nominated justices. The court's only Democratic-nominated justices, Marilyn KELLY and Michael CAVANAGH, did not agree. Cavanagh wouldn't have denied the House's request for an advisory opinion.
In her dissenting remarks, Kelly said the House's question was overly broad when it asked for a review of the entire public act. The court's majority picked out a particular section of the new law it wanted to review and is now going for it. She said that sets a bad precedent.
"My concern is based on the fact that (the law) vests the power to request an advisory opinion solely in the Legislature and the Governor," Kelly wrote. "By modifying the question, this Court effectively usurps the authority of the House to pose the question. Alternatively, the court is acting, with no case or controversy before it, to create an issue that it chooses to address.
"Either way the Court unwisely ventures onto infirm constitutional terrain," she said.
DeVos Pushes Sales Tax Cap On Gas
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVOS today proposed the state stop collecting sales tax on gasoline every time the price goes over $1.95 per gallon, a proposal that could save drivers about 6 cents a gallon and could cost the state budget $285 million a year.
The proposal comes as gas prices in Michigan near the $3-a-gallon mark and mirrors a bill Rep. Bob GOSSELIN (R-Troy) pitched last year. Gosselin's HB 5211 had the mark at $1.99 per gallon before federal and state taxes.
"As gas prices soar, some turn to blaming and complaining. I propose action and results," said DeVos. "This is one of those times. Residents should not have to deal with the additional burden of high sales tax on gas. Lansing can do something to help families. I am advocating an end to the windfall tax-gouging of Michigan families."
The comments may be an indirect swipe at Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM, who on Friday announced a petition drive she was launching to urge President George W. BUSH to do something about the rocketing price of gas. She announced Monday that 40,000 have already signed the petition. Specifically, she wants a cap on oil gas prices, something that would need to happen at the federal level.
The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report has the average price of a regular grade gallon of gas at $2.90, which is 38 cents more than last month and 67 cents more than the $2.23 per gallon gas cost last year.
Michiganders pay 19 cents per gallon in a state gas tax and the federal government collects another 18.4 cents per gallon. In addition, the state also collects 6 percent sales tax on the price of gas. DeVos' proposal would have the state quit collecting the sales tax after the price of gas crosses $1.95 a gallon.
The House Fiscal Agency (HFA) projected HB 5211 would save consumers 1 cent per gallon for every .16 or .17 cents of gas over $1.95 a gallon. For a person driving a vehicle with a 12-gallon tank, that's a savings of 68 cents on a fuel-up. If you've got a truck or SUV with a 22-gallon tank, that's a savings of $1.25 per fuel-up.
"It's not huge, but it makes a difference over time," said DeVos Spokesman John TRUSCOTT. "When you're talking about a couple dollars a week, for some people that could make a significant difference."
The hit to the state budget is mentionable, though. Assuming gas prices over the next year average $3 a gallon, the state budget would see a loss of $285 million, according to the HFA. That's a $210 million loss to the School Aid Fund (SAF), a $30 million loss to Constitutional revenue sharing and a $45 million loss to the General Fund.
Granholm campaign spokesman Chris DeWITT made sure to mention this hit to schools in his response to DeVos' proposal.
"It isn't surprising that instead of joining Governor Granholm in fighting the big oil companies and their exorbitant profits, DeVos chose to take money away from our kids' school," he said. "His real motivation is the millions of dollars he probably has invested with the big oil companies, though nobody can be certain of that because he is hiding his tax returns from public review."
DeVos said school funding will still be protected because the SAF was not predicated on gasoline being $3 a gallon — in other words, whatever the state is collecting with the extra sales tax is gravy.
"The state doesn't need the additional excess," he said. "Residents should be able to keep their hard-earned money."
Putting a sales tax cap on a commodity would be a new move for state government. Caps exist for other taxes, like the Single Business Tax (SBT), but this would be new ground for the Department of Treasury and the sales tax. When HB 5211 was put before a House committee last year, constitutional questions were raised.
Also, there's a question of collection. The logistics of making this work with the gasoline sellers and the new clerks could be an issue.
"I'm assuming there's enough smart people over there in treasury to make this work," Truscott said. "The SBT has a threshold that has been changed several times. I'm sure they can figure this out as well."
House Calls For New Trooper School
House Republicans made it clear today that they're willing to find $2.5 million in next year's tight General Fund (GF) to pay for a 50-person Michigan State Police (MSP) trooper school in 2007.
Citing the falling numbers in troopers since the late 1990s and the roughly 100 MSP troopers currently at retirement age, House Republican leadership said a new 20-week trooper school should be in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 budget.
"It is our Michigan State Police who is leading the effort to keep Michigan residents safe," said Rep. Bill CAUL (R-Mt. Pleasant), the chair of the House MSP budget. "We cannot let our police wither on the vine as our troopers retire."
The House put its money where its mouth was this morning when the House State Police Appropriations Subcommittee passed out a budget that included the new school. The addition was the only difference from the governor's FY 2007 recommendation in the funding portion of the MSP budget. The budget, as a whole, earned the support of the subcommittee's lone Democrat, Michael SAK (D-Grand Rapids).
State Budget Office Spokesman Greg BIRD said the administration is willing to look at the proposed trooper school in the context of the House's entire budget plan, which — up to now — has been all about cutting taxes and spending more money.
"Unless they plan on raising taxes, their tax cuts and increased spending are going to destroy the social safety net and that's unacceptable," Bird said.
House Appropriations Chair Scott HUMMEL (R-DeWitt), MSP subcommittee member Howard WALKER (R-Traverse City) and two former state troopers — Rep. Mike NOFS (R-Battle Creek) and Rep. Gary NEWELL (R-Saranac) joined Caul at a press conference later in the morning to announce the new school.
Caul said the current level of 1,052 state troopers is down significantly from the MSP's peak of 1,344 troopers in 2000. Nofs cited a 1999 Police Allocation Memo that he said had the ideal state trooper strength in the 1,300 range.
Historically, the number of MSP troopers on the road has been a reflection of the state budget's health. A 2004 Senate Fiscal Analysis shows that when the state budget is doing well, the number of troopers is in the 1,200s or higher. When the budget is tight, trooper schools aren't held and levels contract back to between 1,000 and 1,100.
"A drop in trooper strength is a natural result of the state not holding a sufficient number of trooper candidate schools to replenish the expected annual attrition of officers," the report stated.
The MSP has had funding for only two trooper schools since 2000. From 1993 to 1999, a trooper school was held every year, graduating between 69 and 256 new MSP officers. In 2004, the number of troopers hit a 25-year low of 1,027.
The current House plan is to use GF money to pay for the school, but Hummel said the House was willing to look at other options.
Caul made the case for a new school by noting that the MSP is being asked to do more with less. The agency is being asked to take a leading role in the methamphetamine labs popping up across the state. They also assist locals in tracking down identity theft and are asked to head up state homeland security efforts.
Nofs said that his experience as a post commander showed him that when trooper levels are down, response times are longer and fatigue sets in as troopers are asked to work longer hours.
The $581 million State Police budget that moved out of subcommittee today is 5 percent more than the FY 2006 MSP budget of $551 million and slightly higher than the governor's $578.5 million recommendation. Outside of the school, the budget made no other dollar amount changes from the governor's recommendations, meaning the House agreed to the governor's $20.3 million ($16.9 million from the GF) increase to the MSP for employee raises.
The House wants to keep provisions in the budget that ask the MSP to tell the Legislature when there are any breaches in the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), which the governor deleted. The House also wants to keep other reporting provisions that the administration suggested deleting.
House Makes No Changes To MVA Budget
The House's suggested Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 spending plan for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (MVA) mirrors that of the administration.
The House MVA Appropriations Subcommittee today moved to the full Appropriations Committee a $122.3 million spending plan that gives a 3.4 percent cost of living increase to the department and uses School Aid Fund (SAF) money to pick up a $500,000 increase in the state's "Challenge Program," a boot camp-type program for problem teenagers.
Both the House and the administration are suggesting the state spend $4.62 million on the department, a 3.9 percent increase from FY 2006.
Most U's Win, Familiar Two Lose In House Proposal
More than half of the state's 15 publicly funded universities would see state funding increases of more than 4 percent next year, but familiar targets Wayne State University (WSU) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) got the short end of the stick under a House plan that sprung out of a subcommittee this afternoon.
WSU and NMU, targeted last year by Republican lawmakers for the alleged preferential treatment each received when Democratic lawmakers representing their districts were in charge of the process, were kicked again in this House budget recommendation, HB 5781. WSU got a 1.9 percent cut and NMU received a marginal .3 percent increase.
Once again, the House picked its winners and losers based on a convoluted formula that gives big points to schools that allegedly graduate students in high-demand professions such as health care and research. Based on this Workforce Investment Needs (WIN) formula, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is seeing 4.5 percent more.
Seven other universities saw state funding increases of 4.1 percent through 4.4 percent. Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Michigan (U of M) are seeing 3.6 percent and 3.5 percent more, respectively. Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is getting 2.9 percent more, Michigan Technological University (MTU) 2.1 percent more and Lake Superior State University (LSSU) 1.9 percent.
"The WIN model has proven itself as a way to fund our colleges and universities in the fairest and most practical way possible," said House Appropriations Chairman Scott HUMMEL (R-DeWitt). "The funding model ensures that universities are receiving funding based on rational criteria, which in turn will more effectively benefit the state."
The five Republican members of the committee voted to move the budget out of committee at about 1 p.m., two and a half hours after the scheduled 10:30 a.m. meeting time. The panel's three Democrats abstained from voting. The timing on the vote was interesting, considering four universities presidents have not yet testified before the committee.
Regardless, Democrats had a problem with the singling out of WSU.
"Having $4 million cut from Wayne State is a problem," said Rep. Chris KOLB (D-Ann Arbor). "We went through this last time. You can't help the other universities by hurting another university. I don't think that's good public policy. I think in the end, it harms the state of Michigan because Wayne State is an asset."
Democrats also had a problem with Republicans dipping into the School Aid Fund (SAF) to cover $10.6 million of the higher education budget. The SAF, set aside to cover K-12 education, is expected to be well-off compared with the GF next year. As a result, the SAF has become a little pot of gold that is also being used to balance the community college budget and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs budgets, among others.
The House didn't touch the $58 million in private school scholarship money the governor has suggested be rolled into a new needs-based scholarship available to all college students.
The budget also puts $1.3 million in the Merit Award Scholarship, $3.2 million for Indian Tuition Waivers and kept a $4 million nursing scholarship plan.
Overall, the House is recommending that $44 million more go to the state's higher education system in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, a 2.5 percent increase over FY 2006, which is slightly more than the $43.4 million more the Senate is putting into the budget and the $7.4 million more the administration has slated for higher education.
Stewart Wants More
Rep. John STEWART (R-Plymouth) told a gathering of about 100 supporters of higher education five hours before moving the Higher Education budget that he wants to give a 4 percent increase in state funding to publicly funded universities. He urged attendees to lobby his fellow lawmakers to make it happen.
Stewart, the chair of the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, spoke on the Capitol steps this morning at a rally he organized to draw attention to the connection between well-funded, well-functioning universities and improving Michigan's struggling economy.
Dressed in a tank top and shorts after running two miles with Lake Superior State University (LSSU) firefighter students, the always colorful Stewart noted that the state's higher education budget has been cut 15 to 18 percent over the last few years, causing tuition increases that are making higher education increasingly unaffordable.
This needs to change if Michigan hopes to produce an educated and properly trained workforce that can compete in the 21st Century economy, Stewart said.
"The universities are the jet engines and the fuel of our economy," he said. "Tell your representatives that this is a funding priority."
Stewart's committee is currently putting together its higher education budget recommendations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007. A 4 percent increase in state funding would be a significant jump from the administration's recommendation and a boost from the Senate-passed budget.
Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM recommended increasing state funding to the state's three main research institutions — Michigan State University (MSU), University of Michigan (U of M) and Wayne State University (WSU) — 2 percent and the other 12 state universities 1 percent. She suggested rolling the $58.8 million tuition grant scholarship program for private schools into a new scholarship program available to all students.
The Senate passed a $36 million Higher Education budget that's 2.5 percent more than FY 2006. It gave MSU, U of M and WSU its 2 percent increase, but increased funding for four other universities 1.8 percent. Other universities seen as being historically under-funded or falling within some formula received increases ranging from a 7 percent increase for Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to 2 percent increases for Eastern Michigan University(EMU). For money going directly to the universities, it's 2.4 percent more than the governor's recommendations.
At today's rally, Michael BOULUS, executive director of the Presidents Council of State Universities, and Edward BLUES, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan, made brief remarks.
The event came off as Stewart had envisioned with flags and banners representing many of the state's 15 public universities and 47 independent colleges being proudly displayed during the police-escorted march from the downtown Lansing Radisson Hotel two blocks west on Michigan Avenue to the front steps of the Capitol.
Baker College had its three-person-long sign proudly displayed. The private school was the subject of two recent Detroit Free Press articles that suggested that the college is taking money from the state's tuition grant scholarship, but producing student loan defaults as opposed to graduates. Rep. Chris KOLB (D-Ann Arbor), who was holding the U of M flag this morning, is among those suggesting a hearing on the Baker College question.
One attendee was wearing a Lake Superior State University (LSSU) hockey jersey with "Rep. Stewart" and "1" printed on the back.
Kuipers Asks DEQ To Look Into New Oil Refinery
Sen. Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland) recently introduced a bill asking the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to streamline the state regulatory process involved in approving a new oil refinery.
Kuipers said he introduced the bill to take advantage of a statement President George W. BUSH made in his State of the Union address that encouraged states to look at retired military bases as potential oil refineries. He suggested this would decrease the nation's dependency on foreign oil.
"We can't have economic development unless we have the fuel to fuel economic development," Kuipers said.
SB 1230 does not name a specific location for a possible new refinery. It does ask the DEQ to identify all the permits that would need to be obtained in order to build a new refinery and asks the department to speed up the permitting process, said DEQ Spokesman Bob McCANN.
The permits will most likely include a series of water and air permits that allow for discharges, McCann said. McCann seemed somewhat puzzled by Kuiper's request to make recommendations that would speed up the permitting process.
"It used to take 12 to 18 months to get a permit and now it takes 60 days," McCann said. "If they want us to look at it we'd be happy to, but the bottom line is our permitting process is more streamlined now than it's ever been."
Sen. Liz BRATER (D-Ann Arbor) said she has serious concerns about the request.
"I don't know what community in Michigan would want to host it (the refinery) given the air pollution, water pollution and other possible outcomes there would be," Brater said. "The department is already understaffed and under-funded when it comes to monitoring and enforcing environmental laws. I'd be concerned about creating a new responsibility without additional funding for existing responsibilities."
McCann said the department is happy to meet the bill's request, but the legislation is really unnecessary.
"They could have gotten this by simply asking for the information," McCann said. "It (the legislation) seems unnecessary. They could have gotten it by putting in a phone call."
MIRS asked Kuipers' office if the legislative request had anything to do with the displeasure Senate Republicans expressed with the DEQ on the Senate floor a few weeks ago (See "Senate GOP Berates DEQ Before Passing Budget," 3/29/06).
"It was a fluke," said Angie DOEZEMA, with Kuipers' office.
Apparently Kuipers had this bill "sitting on his desk" for a while with a bunch of ethanol bills that Kuipers decided not to move forward
Conscience Clause Bills Clear The House
With an outpouring of Right To Life members viewing from the gallery, the House today passed legislation that allows insurance companies the right to object to covering abortions or any other procedure they feel contradict their mission statements.
Recognizing the ever-increasing ethical dilemmas brought on by biomedical advancements, Rep. Scott HUMMEL (R-DeWitt) introduced the bills (HB 4745 and HB 4746) that give Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, traditional health insurers and HMOs the right to deny benefits on moral, ethical or religious grounds. The measure passed 68-38.
Prior to the vote, Hummel told his colleagues there are "ethically gray areas faced by surgeons over the beginning of life as well as the ending of life." He said the bills would "provide protection" to insurers.
While acknowledging that everything in a contract should be enforced, Hummel said, "scientific advancements are currently moving at lightning speed, and we must recognize the need to pre-empt the problems potential future mandates may bring."
Rep. Paul CONDINO (D-Southfield) urged his colleagues to oppose the legislation saying passage would begin movement "down a very dangerous and slippery slope."
A minor flap erupted over Republican attempts to make the bill take immediate effect. After the voting board was cleared and Democrats challenged the ruling of the chair, efforts to seek immediate effect were dropped.
The Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) this afternoon applauded the passage of what it termed legislation that seeks to protect the religious freedom of faith-based health care benefit providers.
"As public debate regarding health care mandates has resurfaced, MCC believes the time is right, if not overdue, for state law to recognize religious freedom in health care," said Paul A. LONG, MCC's Vice-President for Public Policy.
The legislation now goes to the Senate.
House Passes Election Law Bills
The House, along party lines, today passed a seven-bill package of election laws that would remove several powers from the Board of State Canvassers and place them in the hands of the State Director of Elections.
On votes of 58-49, the House, without debate, passed four bills (SB 0973, SB 0974, SB 0975 and SB 0976) that would give the state elections director the power to make sure a petition has enough valid signatures and to hold hearings to investigate signatures. The bills come in response to the antics of Democratic members of the four-member board who have held up ballot questions that Democrats would tend to oppose.
"For too long now the Board of State Canvassers has been flouting the law by its reckless behavior," said Sen. Alan CROPSEY (R-DeWitt), a former canvasser and sponsor of the legislation. "Regardless of the issues, the board has had the constitutional duty to certify valid initiatives brought before it by the voters of this state. This House action today is one step closer to restoring integrity to the elections process and upholding the constitutional rights of voters."
Those bills have been returned to the Senate for concurrence.
The House today also concurred in Senate changes and sent to the governor three House bills (HB 5648, HB 4649 and HB 5650) that would require the Fourth District Court of Appeals, rather than the State Board of Canvassers, to declare the sufficiency or insufficiency of a ballot proposal petition.
It also would notify the Secretary of State before Sept. 1, 2006, if it declined to make an official declaration and require the Elections Director to make that determination. It also requires a fiscal impact analysis of a ballot proposal to be prepared before an election and requires a summary of the analysis to appear on the ballot.
Each bill is tie-barred to one another.
The House was not successful in gaining immediate effect on the measures.
Are Kids Better Off With Family?
Debate about the effectiveness of the Family-To-Family strategy, which is run under the eye of the Department of Human Services (DHS), dominated today's Senate Family and Human Services Committee meeting.
The Family-To-Family strategy attempts to get birth families, community members and neighborhoods involved in coming up with a strategy for foster child placement. The focus of the strategy is to keep children with their birth families, a philosophy that has specifically come under attack because Ricky HOLLAND, who was allegedly murdered by his foster parents, was put back in his home after being removed due to reports of abuse.
Though the program has obtained its goal to keep more kids with families — in 2001 35 percent of the kids in the Family-To-Family program were placed with relatives whereas 45.1 percent were placed with relatives in 2005 — no real data has shown if these placements are beneficial to the child.
Sen. Bill HARDIMAN (R-Kentwood) asked the DHS to provide data or at least a way of measuring whether relative placements are the best immediate solution for all children in the child welfare system.
DHS Director of the Children's Services Administration Jim HENNESSEY said the program is still being built and would be willing to develop a benefit analysis, but because the program is new, no real cost-benefit data has been recorded.
However, by sitting down and talking to the child, the family, community members and people working with the child, the department has a better idea of how to serve the children, which is also an intended outcome of the strategy, Hennessey said.
"There's a lot of work we need to do and this is admittedly," Hennessey said.
Despite a lack of data, Hennessey said he believes the program is working because it unites many people involved in a child's life, which increases his or her chance of survival. Also, by asking for community involvement in the child's life, the program can change the environment the child is raised in, Hennessey said.
"What percentage of the total foster care program do we want this to be before we have the data with the costs and benefits to kids?" Hardiman asked.
Cost was a motivating factor for private foster care providers who testified in front of the committee. John SCHMIDT, with the Association of Accredited Child and Family Agencies (AACFA), questioned the validity of the Family-To-Family strategy but also questioned the department, which has come under great scrutiny after Holland's death.
"I'm concerned they're disinigrating," Schmidt said of the DHS.
Schmidt asked Ty PARTRIDGE, an associate professor of psychology at Wayne State University, to talk about the Family-To-Family strategy.
Partridge called the strategy a "cookie-cutter" approach, especially when applied to children whose biological family members live in poverty. Kids who live in poverty often live in bad neighborhoods and become "exponentially at risk from negative environments," Partridge said.
Because none of the states using the strategy have presented evidence showing that returning a child to the environment he or she grew up in is beneficial, Partridge said he could not believe sending a child back to poor neighborhoods with gangs and drugs just to keep him or her near family was a good idea.
However, Partridge was testifying on behalf of Schmidt, who is vying for more of the department's money. Private providers who provide services for foster kids get $18.48 a day per child but want to get $22 per child per day.
Providers use the money to take children places, pay administrative costs and pay the people who work with the kids. They haven't gotten a per diem increase for two or three years and their costs are increasing because of high gas prices and programs like the Family-To-Family program, which requires private providers to have more meetings and spend more resources working with Family-To-Family ideas.
Hennessey said he would be willing to look at the funding private providers receive from the department. He said other department costs should also be looked at.
"I think this is the wrong discussion," Hennessey said about the Family-To-Family strategy being the main focus of the budget hearings. "What we're really concerned about is getting the right services to families."
The program is a small portion of the DHS budget but Hardiman and others are still questioning how much money, if any, should go to the program.
House Dems Go After Phone Companies
A pair of Oakland County Democrats proposed today that telephone companies give their customers a 30-day heads-up before their phone service is cut off.
The proposal from Rep. Marie DONIGAN (D-Royal Oak) and Rep. Aldo VAGNOZZI (D-Farmington Hills) came after competitive telephone carrier MichTel Communications shut down its operations without, apparently, letting their 300 Oakland County customers know about it first.
The measure would require that telephone companies give their customers and the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) 30 days notice before shutting down service. It would penalize phone companies that don't give the notice and allow customers to pursue civil action against the companies for the cost that loss of service had on their business.
"Irresponsible phone companies shouldn't be allowed to bring commerce to a grinding halt," Vagnozzi said. "I challenge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up and support our local businesses."
AT&T Spokesman Jon KREGER said current state law requires that telephone companies notify their customers of a shut-off five days before, a system that works well when it's followed. The proposals put out today are an overreaction, he said, to a very specific situation.
If the MPSC feels that five-day window needs to be extended, the Legislature already gave the state regulatory body the power under the recently passed Michigan Telecommunications Act to write rules to address the situation.
DLEG Hits 30,000 Jobs Goal
The administration has met its pledge to connect 30,000 Michigan workers to jobs in the past year and is hoping to up that total to 40,000 in the next 12 months.
The MI Opportunity Partnership, which connects job openings across the state with qualified people looking for jobs, met its one-year goal three weeks ahead of schedule, delighting Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM and her administration.
"MI Opportunity Partnership has shown that with improved communication and access to necessary training, workers impacted by our changing economy can get back to work again," Granholm said. "Our commitment to partner with the business community is benefiting workers across our state."
The Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) has run the point on the program. It has prodded its local Michigan Works! agencies to contact their local job-providers, unions and Regional Skills Alliances to share their vacancies with them. From there, Michigan Works! has been able to find unemployed workers qualified to fill those spots.
DLEG Interim Director Bob SWANSON said the new hands-on relationship with the Michigan Works! agencies has been an aggressive strategy that is working at the local level. There were some start-up bumps at the beginning, but the agencies' partners are engaged, he said, which is why DLEG expects to be able to match 10,000 more workers next year. Also, a letter Granholm sent to providers has helped get employers involved, he said.
Swanson was asked if it was possible that these 30,000 matched over the last 50 weeks would have found jobs anyway.
"They may have been filled sometime, somehow, but it would have happened a lot longer down the line. And maybe the job provider would have hit a dead end," Swanson said. "What we did was speed up the process."
Bits And Tidbits
McCain's Straight Talk Giving In Michigan
U.S. Sen. John McCAIN (R-Ariz.), a possible 2008 presidential candidate, will donate more than $100,000 from his political action committee (PAC) to every district, county and local Republican party organization throughout the state.
National Republican Committee members Chuck YOB and Holly HUGHES along with Ambassador Ron WEISER announced the contribution from "Straight Talk America" today. McCain has raised millions of dollars in Michigan for statewide Republican candidates, state and local parties, they added.
Political consultant John YOB announced that he is handling several states on behalf of the Straight Talk America PAC.
Wisdom Joins National Teen Pregnancy Task Force
Surgeon General Kimberlydawn WISDOM was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy today in Washington DC. She also will take over as chairperson for the Campaign's State and Local Action Task Force.
Wisdom is leading the governor's "Blueprint for Preventing Unintended Pregnancies," which encourages middle school parents to talk to their children about sex and increase family planning services. Michigan has seen a steady decline in teen pregnancy and birth rates across all subsets of the teenage population for more than a decade.
"This is a great opportunity to highlight the innovative efforts that the governor has launched as part of her commitment to reducing unintended pregnancy and also determine ways to better address teen pregnancies at state and local levels," Wisdom said of her election to the national board.
ACLU Files Suit Against Protest Violation
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a federal lawsuit today against a Wayne County Metro Park for stopping an environmental advocate from holding a protest sign at a park event where the U.S. Secretary of the Interior was speaking.
Park officials told the man that he could only display his sign in a free speech zone that was two miles outside of the event.
"This case illustrates the absurdity of so-called free speech zones," said Michael STEINBERG with the ACLU. "The government can't force critics to protest in the woods where nobody can hear them."
DLEG Focuses On Southeastern Michigan
The Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Labor to participate in a national demonstration aimed at enhancing regional economies.
Mid Michigan and West Michigan were selected as one of 13 areas nationwide because they have $30 million in new three-year Workforce Innovation for Regional Economic Development (WIRED) programs.
Gongwer
REPORT NO. 80 VOLUME 45 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006
PANEL REPORTS HIGHER ED BILL TO DEMS DISMAY
Bringing up a vote on a subcommittee budget bill for the state’s 15 public universities before the heads of four of those institutions testified before the House panel brought opposition from Democrats as Republicans pushed through an appropriation Wednesday that is $36.5 million above Governor Jennifer Granholm’s total funds recommendation, and a 2.5 percent increase over the current year.
Democrats on the panel, who said they had been briefed shortly before the subcommittee hearing got underway but had not seen the fiscal analysis, were upset that the presidents of Western Michigan University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University, who are set to testify next week, were not given their chance to appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education before the budget (HB 5781) went to a vote.
“I find it unfortunate that I cannot vote for an increase to the university where I have a degree from,” said Rep. Chris Kolb (D-Ann Arbor).
And Rep. Rich Brown (D-Bessemer), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said, “Last year, I made the hope and plea that we would not harm some to help others and we are at it again.”
Republicans said the four presidents would be given their time before the panel and could react the budget proposal from the House.
The subcommittee budget relies on a funding formula that is more reliant on math degrees and education degrees in the math, science, technical and special education fields, as opposed to the executive budget and Senate compromised budget that separated out funding for the state’s three largest universities and gave them a 2-percent increase in funding. The Senate version also implemented funding floor hikes ranging from 2.2 to 7 percent more for four universities – Central Michigan, Oakland, Saginaw Valley State and Grand Valley State – while the remaining schools received a 1.8 percent spike above current year appropriations.
Under the panel plan, Wayne State University would lose out on funding by 1.9 percent below the current fiscal year budget, amounting to approximately $4 million. All the other universities would see an increase in revenue ranging from 0.3 percent to 4.5 percent. Northern would receive the 0.3 percent increase, but would also be given $600,000 for the costs of operating and maintaining the Superior Dome.
Schools receiving above a 4 percent increase would be GVSU, with a 4.5 percent hike, followed by CMU and the University of Michigan-Flint at 4.4 percent, Ferris State University, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and SVSU with 4.3 percent, Oakland with 4.2 percent and Western Michigan University with 4.1 percent.
Mr. Kolb said the degree-based formula does not address the value of schools that provide advanced degrees, adding that while nursing may be seen as a growth industry only three schools in the state offer doctorate level degrees, which are needed to teach other nurses.
But Rep. Jerry Kooiman (R-Grand Rapids) said with lawmakers supporting higher graduation standards and the emphasis on math and science classes at the middle school level, there also should be a push for more trained teachers in those areas.
Mr. Kolb also said that he has a hard time asking his colleagues to support an increase in funding at the expense of Wayne State. Other Democratic members and Rep. Glen Steil Jr. (R-Cascade) said they were concerned the subcommittee budget relies on a $10.5 million transfer from the School Aid Fund.
“I think it sets a bad precedent,” Mr. Steil said.
And Mr. Brown, speaking to the audience, said he did not believe higher education officials wanted to start competing for dollars with their counterparts in the K-12 system.
Overall, the budget is $1.778 billion, with $3 million in federal dollars, $161 million in restricted funds and $1.61 billion in general fund/general purpose revenue.
Subcommittee Chair Rep. John Stewart (R-Plymouth) said there will be continued negotiations on the budget, but there’s “so much good in this bill.”
The subcommittee separated out funding for the Indian Tuition Waiver, to provide $3,000 per waiver. The budget also includes $1.68 million payment to the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System to reduce payments for the seven universities in the system, which accounts for 10 percent of the costs endured.
The budget also freezes funding for Agriculture Experiment Stations and Cooperative Extension at the fiscal year 2005-2006, which is the same as the executive recommendation but deters from the Senate-passed 2 percent increase.
The panel also fully funded the Tuition Grant Program, the same as the Senate, and increases the maximum award from $2,000 to $2,400.
TROOPER SCHOOL BACKED IN SUBCOMMITTEE BUDGET
The State Police would get its first trooper school in two years to help replenish its diminishing ranks under a proposal approved by a House subcommittee on Wednesday. The $2.5 million in the 2006-07 budget would support a school that would produce 50 graduates, which Republicans who pushed the plan say are needed to bring trooper strength up to 1,075.
Rep. Bill Caul (R-Mount Pleasant), chair of the House Appropriations State Police/Military Affairs Subcommittee, said trooper strength was 1,344 in 1999 but has dropped to 1,052. With growing duties such as homeland security, identity theft and battling methamphetamine labs, he said the force is being stretched too thin.
House Appropriations Chair Rep. Scott Hummel (R-DeWitt) did not identify where in the general fund the $2.5 million would be drawn – priorities will be settled during final budget negotiations, he said – but said the falling trooper numbers mean it is important to bump up the training schedule. The last trooper school produced 89 graduates in December 2004.
The money added to the budget brings the department’s general fund allotment for the new fiscal year to $257.8 million, a 9.5 percent boost from the current year, compared to $578.5 million in Governor Jennifer Granholm’s recommendation. Overall spending would jump to about $581 million, a 5.5 percent increase.
Mr. Caul, who said about 100 troopers are nearing retirement eligibility, said, “We can’t continue to give the State Police greater responsibilities without giving them more resources to do their job.”
Mr. Caul and other Republicans said their commitment on public safety was also reflected in adding $20 million to revenue sharing – which Ms. Granholm had not proposed – so local governments could boost police strength.
The trooper school would add the 50 troopers over two years as they go through training and complete a probationary period.
State Budget Office spokesperson Greg Bird said the administration will review the proposal when it gets the details, but was critical of the failure to identify the source of the extra money. “All we’ve seen this far of the House budget is the tax cut and spend portion. Unless they plan on raising taxes they will probably devastate the social safety net and that will not be acceptable to the governor,” he said.
Mr. Hummel did not target savings from the GOP plan to impose limits on welfare assistance, but said any place where savings are achieved would help provide the funds for the trooper school.
The last trooper school, which began with 100 candidates, was the second phase of a two-year plan to boost trooper strength.
Although the GOP statement criticized the governor for never including additional money in her budget for a school, Ms. Granholm had originally recommended $5 million for the school in 2003-04 (See Gongwer Michigan Report, March 6, 2003). The school, the first in three years, was to have been supported with increased driver license fees, but in the final budget the amount was spread over two years and other special purpose funds were used.
The State Police budget was a major center of controversy last year when Ms. Granholm recommended closing three posts, a move Republicans fought and was not resolved until approval of a supplemental bill after the fiscal year had begun. One rejected option to come up the $1.1 million then was to cut trooper strength.
In other respects, the subcommittee’s 2006-07 budget tracked the recommendation from Ms. Granholm, except for some changes in boilerplate language.
MILITARY AFFAIRS: The subcommittee also approved a budget for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, matching the governor’s recommendation of $122.3 million, a 3.9 percent increase from the current year. Any differences were in boilerplate language, such as rejection of a new section to require the department to operate two 150-student Challenge Program classes, relying on school aid funds.
SENATE CALLS FOR FEDERAL/STATE ACTION ON GAS PRICES
A series of resolutions that call for expanded domestic oil production, for the state to eliminate barriers to increasing refinery capacity in Michigan and for a cap on oil company profits ran through the Senate on Wednesday faster than a gallon of gas in a ‘76 Pacer running on dirty plugs.
Coming a day after President George Bush called for actions to control gas prices, Senate Republicans added their voice to the growing political chorus demanding some action on gas prices – with very pointed worries directed towards the impact gasoline at $3 a gallon or more could have on the tourism industry – by employing a series of parliamentary moves to limit debate on HCR 15, SR 61 and SR 123 and then approving all the measures.
While Democrats in the state from Governor Jennifer Granholm on down have focused their criticism on Mr. Bush, the Republicans made the criticism bipartisan by knocking Ms. Granholm for taking some 18 months to use money allocated for new fuel pump inspectors. “Michigan consumers continue to overpay by hundreds of millions of dollars at the pump while the administration continues a reactive inspection program rather than a proactive inspection program that could protect consumers from paying more for gas than they are receiving,” read substitutes to both SR 61 and SR 123.
And the substitutes further called for Ms. Granholm and the Department of Environmental Quality to “identify barriers to increasing refinery capacity” in the state.
Sen. Jud Gilbert (R-Algonac) said that at one time the state had 19 refineries and now it has just one.
SR 61 passed on a 34-3 vote and SR 123 passed on a 35-2 vote.
Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) criticized the resolutions, saying they supported Mr. Bush’s decision to suspend some environmental rules regarding gasoline, a move she said was very imprudent.
And the resolution also calls for expanding production of oil and gas in the U.S., which Ms. Brater said could mean opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil production, a move that has been blocked in Congress so far.
The Senate unanimously approved HCR 15 that was also amended to call on approval of federal legislation to “cap oil profits and using federal anti-trust laws to prosecute any companies violating the law by reaping unlawful profit.”
DE VOS: Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos outlined his proposal on controlling gas costs by arguing that the sales tax the state charges on gasoline should be capped at $1.95 a gallon. The state now charges both 19 cents a gallon in gasoline taxes as well as the sales tax on the price of fuel.
Mr. DeVos said his is a proposal of “action” instead of one of blame, and said it would end the “windfall tax” on state residents while still protecting overall school revenues. School revenues from the sales tax were predicated at a time when oil prices were much less.
CANVASSER BILLS ON THEIR WAY TO GRANHOLM
Legislation that would delegate the power of certifying ballot proposals to the 4th District Court of Appeals or the state elections director away from the State Board of Canvassers are on their way to Governor Jennifer Granholm.
The House concurred in amendments made by the Senate to its package (HB 5648, HB 5649 and HB 5650) on straight party line votes, 58-48, with Rep. Brenda Clack (D-Flint) absent from voting.
The chamber also passed, on party line votes again, the Senate package (SB 973, SB 974, SB 975 and SB 976) after those bills had been reported out of the House Oversight, Elections and Ethics Committee earlier in the day (Ms. Clack did vote on that package, except for SB 976). The bills are all tie-barred together and effectively do the same thing.
Efforts to gain immediate effect on all seven bills failed as Democrats challenged that by calling for a roll call vote, which received less than the two-thirds needed. It was the first time since lawmakers returned from spring break that the Republican majority asked for immediate effect on any legislation.
There was little debate on the bills, or in the committee for that matter, with Majority Floor Leader Chris Ward (R-Brighton) saying that as two Canvassers members face contempt charges stemming from the certification of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative ballot that ends affirmative action programs at state universities and governments, Michigan should follow the lead of other states that leave ballot certification up the either the lieutenant governor or elections director.
“What could be a greater issue of democracy than a board of canvassers not being able to put an issue before the voters?” he said.
But Rep. Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) said that the bills do nothing to solve the issue of getting voters to the polls and that, “We need to have cool heads and go with the system that is before us.”
Democrats tried to amend the Senate bills three times to tie bar them to other legislation dealing with same-day voting, early voting and no-excuse voting, but those attempts failed.
OBJECTOR BILLS: On the same day Right to Life of Michigan was having its legislative day at the Capitol, the House also sent two bills over the Senate that would allow health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and Blue Cross/Blue Shield to refuse coverage of a benefit on ethical, moral or religious grounds.
The package (HB 4745 and HB 4746) won the favor of 11 Democrats; Rep. Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee), Rep. Rich Brown (D-Bessemer), Rep. Ed Clemente (D-Lincoln Park), Rep. Andy Dillon (D-Redford), Rep. John Espinoza (D-Croswell), Rep. John Gleason (D-Flushing), Rep. Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City), Rep. Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard), Rep. Michael Sak (D-Grand Rapids), Rep. Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) and Rep. Dudley Spade (D-Tipton) who joined majority Republicans, except for Rep. John Stewart (R-Plymouth), in voting for the measure.
The Michigan Catholic Conference issued a statement in support of the passage, with Paul Long, vice president for public policy saying, “Without protection from government intrusion, faith-based health care payers and insurers are susceptible to mandated delivery of non-emergency services that directly contradict an established religious tenet. As public debate regarding health care mandates has resurfaced, Michigan Catholic Conference believes the time is right, if not overdue, for state law to recognize religious freedom in health care.”
LEGISLATORS REPORT HEFTY CONTRIBUTIONS
Legislators either in leadership positions in the House and Senate, or those looking to take on a leadership role reported hardy contributions to their leadership political action committees according to the latest filing with the Department of State.
On the Democratic Senate side, Sen. Gilda Jacobs (D-Huntington Woods) surprised some by raising $45,000 in the quarter, and with $59,000 in cash on hand.
With two funds, Sen. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) came across as something of a surprise himself in what he had raised and spent. Mr. Bishop has been keeping open his options on whether to run for leader or another post. Sen. Jason Allen (R-Traverse City), Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) and Sen. Cameron Brown (R-Sturgis) are in the hunt for leader.
The Bishop Majority Fund brought in $57,900 during the quarter, spent not a penny of it, and has $57,900 in cash on hand. Mr. Bishop’s second fund, Knights of the Roundtable Majority Fund raised just $17,900 but it spent more than $75,000 during the quarter, ending up with $45,582 in cash on hand.
The combined cash on hand total leaves him behind Mr. Allen, who finished with $119,145 in cash on hand. During the quarter he raised $54,000 and spent $64,000.
Mr. Kuipers outraised the other two, bringing in $72,000 during the quarter. He spent $76,000 and finished with $84,000 in the bank.
Mr. Brown raised $20,000 during the quarter, but spent only $2,000, so he finished with $18,000 in cash on hand. He entered the race somewhat later than the others.
On the Democratic side, Ms. Jacobs has a much higher level of cash on hand than Senate Minority Floor Leader Sen. Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek). During the quarter she raised $45,000 and spent $13,000, leaving her with $59,000 in cash on hand.
Mr. Schauer, who now heads the campaign effort for the entire Senate Democratic caucus, raised $21,800 and spent $19,000. He has slightly less than $6,500 in cash on hand. (The Democratic caucus finished with what for it was a record with $924,700 in cash on hand).
A report for Sen. Ray Basham (D-Taylor) was not yet available on line with the state.
On the House side, Speaker Craig DeRoche (R-Novi) raised the most money for the quarter and cycle and Rep. Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) topped out his fundraising efforts in the Democratic.
Mr. DeRoche brought in $119,000 for the calendar year so far, with $69,850 reported during the April cycle. He reported just under $13,000 of cash on hand, giving much of what he raised to eight Republicans who represent competitive districts, reimbursements to himself and other staff members and $20,000 to the House Republican Caucus Committee.
Rep. Ed Gaffney (R-Grosse Pointe Farms) came in second behind Mr. DeRoche, reporting $17,000 raised during the filing period for a cumulative fundraising effort of almost $42,000. He had $5,700 left in his PAC.
Term-limited Rep. Jerry Kooiman (R-Grand Rapids) ranked 3rd in terms of Republican fundraising efforts, netting almost $15,000 for the quarter, but he had less than House Majority Floor Leader Chris Ward (R-Brighton) in terms of money raised over the cycle with $25,000 compared to Mr. Ward’s $36,000. Mr. Ward had raised $12,000 during the quarter. However, Mr. Kooiman’s PAC showed less cash on hand, $1,800, and Mr. Ward reported just under $11,000 leftover.
On the Democratic side, Mr. Meisner (D-Ferndale) took the top spot in terms of funds raised over the cycle with $42,500 ($11,000 this quarter), but Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Ypsilanti) came in above him with $27,000 raised in the quarter ($19,000 raised overall). He reported having $22,000 left in the bank and she reported $1,700 leftover.
Rep. Michael Sak (D-Grand Rapids) reported the most cash on hand for a Democrat with $33,000 leftover after a $28,900 fundraising effort over the cycle, although Rep. Matt Gillard (D-Alpena) outraised him in the quarter with $10,000 (Mr. Sak had $7,000). And term-limited House Minority Leader Dianne Byrum (D-Onondaga) raised $29,000 over the cycle, almost $14,000 during the filing period, and had $6,600 cash on hand.
All of the top fundraisers in the House contributed much of their donations to caucus campaign efforts or other party candidates.
ECONOMIST FINDS NO BENEFIT TO POWER COMPETITION
Across the country, electric customers have not seen rates go down and in some cases may have seen rates increase with the imposition of competition into the utility market, an economist told the Senate Technology and Energy Committee as part of its efforts to draft a state energy plan.
Kenneth Rose, a senior fellow with the Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University, said he was one who had initially said competition in the electric market would improve prices for customers, but he said many of the assumptions on which that thought was based have proved to be false.
“It’s not the commodity most of us once hoped it would become,” Mr. Rose said.
He said in many states, policymakers believed that a wholesale market for power would develop as they urged development of retail markets. But he said the wholesale markets have been slow to develop and they are more expensive than originally anticipated.
“We spend over $1 billion to run the RTOs and that’s more than doubled since 2000,” he said. “The costs are rising exponentially.”
Many assumptions on the development of the wholesale market also included an unlimited size for that market. But he said evidence now is that there is an optimal size for regional transmission operators, which control the wholesale markets. Some that are too small are having difficulty maintaining reliability and some that are growing too large are losing control of the generators feeding power into the systems, he said.
The transmission and generation capacities many expected would develop under open access have not, he said, in part because the Enron scandal dried up capital merchant power providers needed to build plants.
But he said economists also appear to have underestimated the benefits of economies of scale that integrated utilities have.
In February 2004 (See Gongwer Michigan Report, February 18, 2004), Mr. Rose told the committee that if the state wanted to attract merchant plants, it needed only to ensure that electric rates maintained a sufficient margin over wholesale rates to provide those plants a profit. And he said attracting sufficient competitors into the state would break the market power the utilities hold over rates.
At that time he also praised several states for not backing away from a full implementation of competition despite the then-recent problems in the California electric market. He said Wednesday that he was now having to tell policymakers in some of those states that it is too late for them to try to regain regulatory control of power markets to rein in price increases.
He said states like Michigan that have maintained some regulatory control over rates have seen those rates increase more slowly than those completely opening the market to competition.
AUDIT: MDOT WARRANTIES NEED BETTER TRACKING
Whether the Department of Transportation’s 10-year-old construction warranty project has improved the quality of Michigan roads is a question that MDOT won’t be able to answer without proper tracking, oversight and documentation of warranted projects, Auditor General Thomas McTavish said in an audit report released on Wednesday.
MDOT began using the warranty system, which mandates that contractors maintain and fix any damage covered under the warranty, in 1996, and through the audit period ending in June 2005, had administered more than 1,000 warranties.
The premise is that the state saves the cost of monitoring and repair for shabby pavement construction jobs and drivers get better maintained roads.
However, Mr. McTavish said, nearly half of 196 sampled inspections done by MDOT to ensure the quality of warranted work were missing proof of the inspections.
“Without inspection documentation, MDOT could not ensure that inspections were conducted or support warranty claims for project defects and necessary corrective actions,” said the report, calling MDOT “moderately effective”.
MDOT also needs to do better follow-up on warranty claims, the auditor general said, adding that in the 26 cases auditors looked at, 14 didn’t have documentation that contractors fixed the road conditions reported by the department inspectors.
In its response to the findings, which also included suggestions that MDOT develop a quality improvement process that has performance indicators, historical data and other measures, MDOT agreed to modify its practices.
The agency response cautioned, however, that it hadn’t done comprehensive side-by-side comparisons of warranted and regular road projects yet, because the optimal time to do so is at least six to eight years after the roads are constructed.
Officials said the Statewide Warranty Administrative Database, a computer program installed in 2003 at a cost $1.4 million with annual maintenance at $200,000, is the key to working out many of the kinks.
For example, the program can document inspections and the corrective actions of contractors and will be used in the future do to so.
MDOT’s response said that even though 3 percent of 150 audited cases hadn’t been entered into the program and 18 percent were missing other information, “97 percent of warranted projects reviewed were entered into SWAD and this was accomplished even though SWAD is still a relatively new endeavor being implemented throughout MDOT across the state.”
SUPREME COURT AGREES TO REVIEW VOTER I.D. LAW
The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to provide legislators an advisory opinion on the constitutionality of requiring photo identification to vote. The court gave Attorney General Mike Cox 84 days to put together arguments on both sides of the issue as well as inviting other interested parties to participate.
The opinion would address a section of PA 71, 2005 that requires voters to present picture identification to be allowed to vote. The provision, Section 523, would be first used for the 2008 elections, as it is effective January 1, 2007.
Justice Marilyn Kelly dissented from the order (In Re: Request for Advisory Opinion Regarding Constitutionality of 2005, PA 71, SC docket No. 130589), arguing that the House did not provide a question the court could review. “What constitutional provisions does the House fear may be offended?” she said, noting that other litigants would have their appeal rejected for not providing such specifics.
And she said by adding the phrase “on their face”, the court has impermissibly altered the question asked by the House.
Justice Michael Cavanagh would not have agreed to issue the opinion.
Arguments on the question have not yet been scheduled.
SENATE PANEL APPROVES FUNERAL PROTEST BILLS
A series of bills that would require protestors at funerals to be at least 500 feet away, and giving local governments authority to require protests at funerals to get a permit, went to the Senate floor on Wednesday.
The Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs Committee reported HB 5887, HB 5888, SB 1171, SB 1199 and SB 1229 after hearing from the families of Michigan military personnel who were killed in Iraq, veterans organizations and a member of the Patriot Guard – an informal organization of veterans, many of whom are motorcyclists, who provide a shield from protestors and veteran families – that the measures will ensure the ability to protest as well provide grieving families some comfort.
The legislation is aimed mainly at protests that come from members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas that has organized pickets at the funerals of military personnel killed (its website spoke of upcoming pickets at funerals in Colorado and Louisiana), charging that America is doomed because of its tolerance of homosexuality.
Rep. Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan), sponsor of HB 5887, said it “was a sorry day in the State of Michigan when we have to look at legislation to protect grieving families from this disrespect.”
Mike Kilpela of Fowlerville, whose son was killed in Iraq, said families facing these funerals are “already on the edge of sanity” and should not have to worry about protestors.
And Larry Helser of Holt and the Patriot Guard backed the bills, saying that “heroes do not need to be treated like trash.” A 22-year veteran of the Marines, Mr. Helser described some of the scenes at the funeral protests and said he would “like to grab one of them and shake them until they were lifeless.”
But Shelli Weisberg of the ACLU said the zone element of the legislation will likely be overturned by federal courts. The founder of the Westboro Church, Fred Phelps, has 11 children of whom nine are lawyers and they are already filing challenges to similar laws that have passed in some 25 states, Ms. Weisberg said.
There are some restrictions that can be constitutionally imposed, she said, such as noise restrictions. But the “most fabulous answer” are the counter-protests of the Patriot Guard “which I think is free speech at its best.”
DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FOR D.N.R. GETS INITIAL SUPPORT
Setting aside discretionary amounts in the Department of Natural Resources budget to expedite use of federal grants, restricted sources, local government funds or private funds that become available during the fiscal year got preliminary support from members of the House Appropriations DNR Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Inclusion of the funds – in all $8.6 million in four different accounts – means the department could begin using the money upon approval of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees through a transfer process, rather than through a supplemental appropriations bill which must go through both chambers and be signed by the governor.
DNR Deputy Director Dennis Fedewa said federal grants are not always finalized before the budget is adopted, and cited Emerald Ash borer money as one example of how the discretionary fund procedure could be of benefit in putting the money to use more quickly after it is obtained.
Both Rep. Darwin Booher (R-Evart) and Rep. Carl Williams (D-Saginaw) expressed support for the concept.
Subcommittee chair, Rep. Howard Walker (R-Traverse City) agreed the issue should be considered more closely before the budget is sent to the full Appropriations Committee next week. The initial substitute reviewed by the subcommittee on Wednesday omitted the discretionary accounts.
STATE STILL SELLING GAS LEASES
The Department of Natural Resources is gearing up to lease more of its mineral rights in June, but it is still unclear how many of those leases are being developed.
Natural Resources Director Becky Humphries this week added a proposal for a gas rights lease sale to next months Natural Resources Commission agenda. Officials said that sale would be conducted the same as two sales last year: the leases would be contingent on the lessee proving that the state owns the mineral rights.
Under two pending lawsuits, Comben v. State of Michigan before the Supreme Court and Blackstone v. State of Michigan in mediation, the state’s ownership of mineral rights to tax reverted lands where those rights might have been severed before the land was seized has been questioned.
Tom Wellman, manager of the DNR Minerals and Land Management Section, said the state is still issuing the leases. “But before we will issue a lease for those parcels we need an attorney’s title opinion that those were not severed prior to reversion,” he said.
That title opinion would protect the state from having those sales added to one of the two pending cases.
Mr. Wellman said some, though very few, of the leases issued last year have been refunded because the development companies could not prove the state owned the minerals under the land. But because some of the sites were still in research, it was not clear on how many the state would have to refund deposits, he said.
BILL WOULD PROVIDE HOMESTEAD TO SOLDIERS
Residents of Michigan on military assignments elsewhere would be able to maintain the homestead exemption on their homes even if they had to rent them out for the duration of the posting under legislation reported Wednesday from the House Tax Policy Committee.
The bill (HB 4119) addresses a problem that supporters said at this point is probably rare but could be growing in the coming months.
Rep. Dan Acciavatti (R-New Baltimore), sponsor of the legislation, said Selfridge Air Force Base is no longer providing on-base housing to new people posted there, meaning many of the soldiers will be purchasing homes in the area.
Scott Schrager with the Department of Treasury said the department has not been forcing those in the military to change the designations of their homes while they are not living there, but he said the administration is supporting the bill to avoid having auditors overlook what would technically be a violation of state tax law to have someone other than the owner living in a property designated as a homestead.
“We don’t know how much it costs,” Mr. Schrager said of the change. “It can’t cost very much.”
GRANHOLM SAYS STATE SHOULD CONSIDER MASSACHUSETTS INSURANCE PROPOSAL
Michigan officials should consider adopting legislation assuring that all residents have health insurance, Governor Jennifer Granholm said at an event in Detroit on Wednesday.
Ms. Granholm was speaking at an event in Detroit to highlight her proposal, made in the State of the State Address, to provide coverage for half the more than 1 million residents without health insurance in the state. The state is working on its proposal to request a waiver from the federal government to enact its Michigan First, which it plans to file in several months.
Providing insurance is critical to boosting the state’s economy, Ms. Granholm said at the Detroit event. Michigan corporations are competing against companies from countries where health coverage is provided centrally.
Ontario has been able to attract some manufacturing largely because of Canada’s nationalized health system, Ms. Granholm said.
After Massachusetts enacted its law requiring that all residents have insurance or face tax consequences, a number of state officials – both Democrats and Republicans – expressed some interest in the proposal.
But Wednesday was probably the first time that Ms. Granholm said the state should also consider a Massachusetts-style proposal to provide universal coverage to all residents.
STATE SAYS ITS BEATS SCHEDULE ON JOB CONNECTION
The Michigan Opportunity Partnership – a state effort to help match jobseekers with job openings – has already beaten its first year goal of 30,000 jobs, the Department of Labor and Economic Growth announced Wednesday.
Begun last year when the state established there were thousands of job openings looking for workers in the state, Governor Jennifer Granholm said at the time she wanted the program to match some 30,000 people to openings within the first 12 months.
Wednesday, officials said that milestone was met more than three weeks ahead of the first anniversary on May 10.
Officials are now shooting to be able to match 40,000 more people with job openings in the next year.
S.E. MICHIGAN GETS DESIGNATION AS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
The U.S. Department of Labor has designated Southeast Michigan for funding under the Workforce Innovation for Regional Economic Development as part of a national demonstration project to boost local economies.
Already West and Mid Michigan have received similar designations, meaning Michigan is the only state with three areas eligible for resources that could boost development of high-tech and higher skilled occupations.
