Cross-posted to MichiganLiberal.com.
In This Week's Edition
- Affirmative-Action Debate Turns Nasty
- What's Happening in Washington?
- Looking Ahead to 2006...and 2008
- Legislature Update
- Around the State
- Opinion Roundup
- Sound Bites of the Week
Michigan By the Numbers
- Detroit's snowiest December on record: 34.9 inches in 1974.
- States other than Michigan that allow citizens to put issues on the ballot: 23.
- Division II championships won by Grand Valley State's football team: 3, including last Saturday's win.
- Retired state employees working full-time for the state: 83.
- Detroit employees facing layoffs in this round of budget cuts: 414.
- Percent of Michigan motorists who fasten their seat belts: 92.9.
- Detroit's worst year for murders: 1974, with 714. There were 384 murders last year, and this year's total might be lower still.
Affirmative-Action Debate Turns Nasty
The State Board of Canvassers again failed to put the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which would ban affirmative action in government or state universities, on the 2006 ballot. Things got nasty when protesters from the group By Any Means Necessary disrupted the canvassers' meeting. In the end, one Democrat on the four-member board voted "no" and the other didn't vote, depriving the proposal of the three votes needed for approval. The canvassers' vote defied a state appeals court decision ordering them to put the proposal on the ballot because its sponsors had gathered the needed petition signatures.
Both of Detroit's newspapers condemned BAMN and the Democratic canvassers. The Free Press called the behavior "contemptible" and suggested that the canvassers be cited for contempt of court. The News described the canvassers as "subversive", and also warned that BAMN's tactics could result in added support for what it considered a "wrongheaded" proposal.
What's Happening in Washington?
The Senate went back in session on Wednesday.
How They Voted on Key Legislation. Michigan's House delegation voted 14-1 in favor of the pension reform bill after changes made the bill acceptable to the United Auto Workers....House members voted 8-7 to reauthorize the Patriot Act. Representative Vern Ehlers (R-Grand Rapids) joined the six Democrats in voting no...They voted 13-2 to approve a federal ban on torture. Representatives Peter Hoekstra (R-Holland) and Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) voted "no."
Dingell Waxes Poetic. When House Republicans introduced a resolution
protecting "the symbols and tradition of Christmas," Representative John Dingell (D-Dearborn) offered the perfect put-down: his own version of "The Night Before Christmas", which poked fun at the Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly who has repeatedly claimed that secular liberals are waging a "war on Christmas."
Carl Levin: Quietly Effective on Iraq. Friday's News profiled Senator Carl Levin's quiet but effective efforts to find the truth about the Iraq war. He's been highly critical of the Bush administration's misuse of pre-war intelligence and, in particular, his efforts to link Saddam Hussein to the perpetrators of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
How United is Our Congressional Delegation? Last month, Governor Granholm met with the state's congressional delegation. However, such bipartisan meetings are the exception, not the rule. Representative Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) would like to see more meetings but says that the House is too polarized these days. But Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-Bloomfield Hills) has a slightly different take. He blames C-SPAN and narrow divisions between parties for a series of close and hotly contested votes--which in turn lead to even more partisanship.
Democrats Accuse Knollenberg of Favoritism. Speaking of Joe Knollenberg, the state Democratic Party condemned him for allegedly having done a big donor a legislative favor. According to the New York Times, Knollenberg inserted a provision into a transportation bill that earmarked $8.3 million to Amtrak if it increased the amount of freight it hauls. The only supplier of rail cars to haul freight is ExpressTrak, which is owned by one of Knollenberg's largest donors, Anthony Soave. Responding to the bad publicity, Knollenberg said that he would try to kill the ExpressTrak provision.
Michigan Faces $1 Billion Financial Hit. Congress is finishing work on a massive budget reconciliation bill that will lay out spending and policy priorities for the next five years. If it passes in its current form, Michigan could lose $1 billion in federal revenue over the next five years, with Medicaid suffering the biggest cut.
Stabenow's Health-Care Prescription. Senator Debbie Stabenow told an audience of health professionals that steps can be taken to improve health care without running up costs. She mentioned legislation that encourage computerized medical record-keeping, create a national catastrophic-insurance pool, and allow the re-importation of less costly prescription drugs from Canada.
In Brief. A partnership of federal, state, and local officials proposed spending $20 billion over the next 15 years to clean up the Great Lakes....Representative Candice Miller (R-Harrison Township) is pushing a constitutional amendment that would base House apportionment on U.S. citizens only....An interfaith coalition denounced the House-passed budget reconciliation bill as "reverse Robin Hood" legislation.
Looking Ahead to 2006...and 2008
Update on Ballot Proposals. Among states that allow their citizens to initiate legislative measures, Michigan ranks in the middle of the pack, with only a few issues making it onto the ballot per election cycle. According to the National Council of State Legislatures, four western states--Arizona, California, Colorado, and Oregon--tend to have the most ballot proposals.
According to the Associated Press, two proposals have gathered the necessary signatures: the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative and the restoration of a ban on dove hunting. Supporters of minimum funding for Michigan's public schools say that they've collected enough signatures to put their proposal on the ballot.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would impose strict controls over land condemnation. The measure would require state or local officials to condemn specific parcels of land rather than an entire area, such as Detroit's Poletown neighborhood.
Vacancies Giving Governor a Headache. A political hot potato has been dropped into Governor Granholm's lap. Her problem is what to do about special elections to fill three vacant seats in the legislature, all of which were held by Democrats. Writing in the Lansing State Journal, Tim Skubick says that whatever she does regarding special elections to fill those seats will make some fellow Democrats unhappy. On Saturday, the Free Press urged the governor to schedule primary elections for all three seats on February 28, the next quarterly election day.
Oakland GOP Gives Bouchard Tepid Reception. Kathleen Gray of the Free Press reported that the audience at a GOP Senate candidate forum in Bloomfield Hills gave Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard only polite applause. She offered a possible explanation: audience members were skeptical of Bouchard because of his late re-entry into the Senate race, his refusal to take on Senator Carl Levin in 2002, and his decision to turn down Dick Posthumus' offer to join his ticket as the candidate for lieutenant governor.
If Jerry Zandstra gets his way, there will be plenty more candidate forums next year. Zandstra has called on his opponents to appear in each of the state's 15 congressional districts.
Democrats Dilute New Hampshire's Influence. An advisory panel of the Democratic National Committee recommended that New Hampshire lose some of its influence over the 2008 nominating process. The proposal, strongly supported by Senator Levin, would add one or two small-state caucuses after Iowa's caucuses but before New Hampshire's first-in-the nation primary. The full DNC will act on the proposal next April.
State Voters Give Bush the Thumbs-Down. President Bush's national approval numbers have rebounded slightly, but only 36 percent of Michigan voters approve of his job performance, compared to 61 percent who disapprove. They approve of Governor Granholm's job performance by the narrowest of margins, 50 to 48 percent, but she continues to enjoy a double-digit lead in the polls over likely challenger Dick DeVos, who isn't well known yet.
In Brief. Representative Joe Schwarz (R-St. Joseph) is one of seven House members targeted for defeat by AFSCME.
Legislature Update
State lawmakers began their holiday break on Tuesday.
Granholm Calls For Tougher Ethics Standards. Governor Granholm called on lawmakers to toughen ethics and disclosure requirements for public officials. Her proposals include requiring annual disclosure of financial interests, barring conflicts of interest by state contract managers, establishing a one-year lobbying ban for ex-officials, and disclosure of who paid for "robo-calls" in election campaigns.
Fight Over Teacher Health Care, Pensions. Legislative Republicans are trying once again to rein in the Michigan Education Association's health insurer, the Michigan Education Special Services Association. The Free Press's Brian Dickerson thinks the GOP might succeed this time--provided Governor Granholm doesn't veto the legislation. Meanwhile, legislation that would switch newly-hired teachers from a fixed-benefit pension system to a 401(k) plan appears dead--at least for the time being.
Governor, Lawmakers Agree on Tax Breaks. The governor and the GOP-controlled legislature came to an agreement on a package of tax breaks benefitting manufacturers. Their plan would give businesses a refundable personal property tax credit, reward companies that transfer jobs to Michigan, and protect struggling suppliers Delphi and Visteon. The total amount of tax relief is estimated to be $600 million.
"Double Dipping" by Retired State Employees. Representative Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township) plans to introduce a bill that would create a task force to look into the re-hiring of retired public employees as consultants.
In Brief. Governor Granholm signed legislation authorizing direct wine shipments to consumers and allowing dancing and entertainment in bars after 2 am....But she vetoed a bill that would have made it harder to declare land an environmental cleanup zone....According to rankings compiled by Inside Michigan Politics, Senator Alan Sanborn (R-Richmond) is the most conservative member of the Senate and Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) is the most liberal....New restrictions on medications containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine went into effect on Thursday....The House voted to to abolish preliminary examinations in most felony cases....A Senate panel voted to impose a moratorium on new billboard construction....A group of House Republicans want to investigate the state's readiness to handle a bird flu epidemic
Around the State
Votes for Sale, Hendrix Alleges. Freman Hendrix alleged that vote-buying is "a cottage industry" in Detroit, and that he was asked for money in exchange for votes during his campaign. Former mayor Dennis Archer and several other candidates also said that they'd been approached with offers of votes for money.
Meanwhile, the Detroit recount is one-quarter finished, and it's had little impact on the mayoral race: Kilpatrick has gained a net total of 20 votes. But canvassers found hundreds of suspicious write-in votes for council candidates.
Fieger Asks for Special Prosecutor. Geoffrey Fieger made the latest move in his political chess game with Attorney General Mike Cox: he asked Governor Granholm to name a special prosecutor to investigate whether he'd broken campaign finance laws. Cox countered that he's looking for a special prosecutor but hasn't found one yet, and added that Fieger was engaging in political theatrics.
Battle Royal for Wayne Commission Seat. Next month, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners will fill a vacant seat left by Kwame Kenyatta, who moves to Detroit City Council. But a dispute has erupted over who will succeed Kenyatta, and charges of racism and nepotism are flying. By tradition, when a commissioner leaves in the middle of a term, the board follows his or her recommendation as the replacement. Kenyatta wants his wife, Monifa, to get the seat. But Senator Burton Leland (D-Detroit) and Tom Wilson also want the job.
In Brief. Thirteen Midwestern governors, including Governor Granholm, got together at an anti-methamphetamine summit in Indianapolis....The State Board of Education approved a plan that would increase the number of courses required for a high school diploma....Mayor Kilpatrick cut $40 million from Detroit's budget. Measures includes closing the city's historical museum and transferring control over the Detroit Zoo...To show her commitment to creating jobs, Governor Granholm elevated Jim Epolito, the head of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, to her cabinet....The Secretary of State's Office cleared Representative Tim Moore (R-Farwell) of campaign finance violations, ruling that he hadn't intended to influence an election.
Opinion Roundup
Sunday's News opposed the extension of the broadcast decency rule to cable and satellite TV...Peter Luke of Booth Newspapers thinks that both the GOP and the governor are playing politics over welfare, and that the current reforms might mean that welfare no longer functions as a social "safety net."...Monday's Free Press criticized the Michigan Supreme Court for outlawing efforts to make criminal juries more representative....Wednesday's Free Press called for the appointment of a special trade prosecutor to crack down on violations of international rules....In this week's Metro Times, columnist Jack Lessenberry says that it's time to repeal a 1996 state law barring suits involving FDA-approved medications....In an editorial rebuttal, Department of Community Health head Janet Olszewski took issue with a News editorial applauding proposed federal budget cuts....The News urged lawmakers to make it easier to earn teacher certification.
Sound Bites of the Week
"If you don't know by now that it's a sin and illegal to personally profit from public office, this is too late to help you."--Representative Thaddeus McCotter (R-Livonia), which still hasn't given back the $10,000 he received from Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who left Congress after pleading guilty to felony charges.
"We don't have rule of law, we have enforcement by whim."--Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, commenting on campaign finance laws.