• Coalitions Vice-Chair:  Victor Diaz
  
• Outreach Vice-Chair:  Eileen McNeil
  
• Grassroots Vice-Chair:  Steven Kuivenhoven
  
• Ethnic Vice-Chair:  Linda Lee Tarver
  
• Administrative Vice-Chair:  Jon Nunn
  
• Youth Vice-Chair:  Sarah Ledford

A referendum was placed before the convention on the question of whether to support a resolution repealing Michigan's Prevailing Wage Law.  The referendum passed by a vote of 1,304 "yea" to 7 "nay."  Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, who was the Acting Convention Chair at the time, seemed genuinely surprised that the support wasn't unanimous.

Four names were discussed as being potential contenders to challenge Senator Debbie "Dangerously Incompetent" Stabenow in 2012:  Saul Anuzis, Terri Lynn Land, Pete Hoekstra, and Mike Bishop.  (Others were mentioned in the press article, but I didn't personally overhear those conversations.)  NOTE:  No one has as yet officially or unofficially declared their candidacy (everyone's just "exploring options" right now).  In fact, I found out that Mike Bishop definitely has no intention to run, having no interest in being anywhere near Washington, DC . . . but he's not yet done with Michigan Republican politics, either.

The Tea Party of West Michigan and Independence Caucus of Kent County mounted a challenge for all six State Committee positions in the 3rd Congressional District at the District Caucus in the Pantlind Ballroom on Friday night.  (One of the challenges was successful, and three others were decided by less than 10 votes.)  A member of the establishment was overheard complaining about the challenge to the effect of, "We're a family here, and we've always done it the traditional way.  Who are these people to think they can come in here and stage a coup?"  The response from the tea partiers was diplomatically direct; effectively, "Challenging candidates for election and insisting that things be done properly isn't a coup; it's the core of how the democratic process works."  My take on that exchange is that boxing out the tea partiers now while they're learning the process only guarantees that they'll storm the gates and take no prisoners next time around.

After talking with a very good friend of mine (who happens to now be a particular legislator's chief of staff), clued me in on one of the "inside baseball" reasons that Right-to-Work isn't on the House floor just yet.  Apparently, five or six house legislators all submitted bill requests for RTW legislation . . . and all of the requests are different enough that the Legislative Services Bureau has to coordinate with the Speaker as to which one will actually be introduced.  I think I know which one it's going to be . . . I'll keep you posted as to what I learn.

I spoke with a couple of state senators and a few state representatives about getting the Michigan FairTax Proposal introduced in each chamber as a joint resolution for the 2012 ballot.  I'll be having conversations next month with a particular state senator and state representative who've offered to consider introducing the joint resolution in their respective chambers.  I'll keep you posted.

DeVos Place was an excellent venue to host a State Convention.  The district caucuses were spread out between the Amway Grand Plaza, J.W. Marriott, and DeVos Place (and had plenty of room in which to work), the credentialing process was very smoothly executed, and the General Session occupied at most half of the Exhibit Hall of DeVos Place.  All three of the convention hotels (Amway Grand, J.W. Marriott, and Courtyard) are connected to DeVos Place by an enclosed skywalk.  NOTE to Jon Nunn (Administrative Vice-Chair):  This is how you run a convention!  Do this for the state conventions in the future!