Tag: State Senate

Each one promoting a better understanding of the history of our country and the reasons for its founding.

• SB121 essentially encourages schools to set aside one week a year where the students are actually exposed to the founding documents, not as tangential history, but why the compact and the constitution was developed.
  
• SB120 removes the perceived shackles placed on public instruction with regard to the readings of historic records.  Heaven forbid (pun intended) that johnny hears the word God when a reading of the federalist papers, proclamations, etc.
  
• SB423 Encourages the schools to provide instruction focusing on the principles of the Declaration of Independence (self evident truths), the US Constitution (our compact), and the Michigan State Constitution. It also requires the state Board of Education to update curriculum and testing standards to cover these subjects.

Particularly on issues of such magnitude as transparency or government influence in our daily lives. Yet a presumed difference between private and government monetary involvement on any issue seems to be enough to persuade its scholars that transparency is not an absolute.  Where government monies are spent it seems, is far more important to your freedoms than that which is expended to influence those expenditures or other acts. And that personal monies expended to influence government are not necessarily an impact on any personal liberties to warrant a demand for transparency.

We DO agree that limits should be removed from campaign finance. We agree that limiting to an arbitrary amount can impede free speech and political expression. What is considered a fair contribution into the process is a completely subjective matter that can only be resolved by the person who is willing to contribute into that process.  A person's individual priorities and where a subject reaches a level of importance are hardly the providence of external assignment.

Thus the most accurate manner in which to protect what is a sovereign right is to allow, nay, PROTECT, that person's ability to engage in the process at a level appropriate to that person alone. Our place, and that of government should be to prevent that which would infringe on such activity and instead encourage a stake in the game.

In other words, if an individual wishes to personally expend $1 Million on a county commission race for a friend, there should be no objection from government. If it was to advocate bonding for a new swimming pool in a community, that money expended by itself guarantees no votes, and it is that person's right to seek such approvals.

And anyhow, some things can be overdone.

A recent in-box treat from the "Michigan Freedom Fund" declares a victory in the name of free speech.  The release says:

"LANSING, November 14, 2013 - Michigan Freedom Fund President Greg McNeilly today released the following statement after Senate Bill 661 passed 20-18 in the Senate:

...

"Government has no right to target and punish the free speech of individuals, whether or not it is unpopular or delivered through an unpopular medium.  Today, the Senate did the right thing by standing up for our rights and putting the Constitution first." "

Ruth Johnson apparently triggered a legislative action with a recent press release and intent on expanding reporting by shadow groups.

" LANSING, Mich. - Saying the public has a right to know who is behind some of the most negative advertising in political campaigning, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today proposed a sweeping new disclosure rule.

"In a country where free speech is protected, these ads are part of the political landscape and we can't stop them - but when they try to influence an election, we can make sure the public knows who is paying for them," said Johnson, a long-time fighter for transparency in elections.

Specifically, Johnson's proposal targets political ads that try to persuade voters about the worthiness or unworthiness of a candidate or proposal without actually using the words "vote for" or "elect." They often encourage voters to contact a specific candidate, as in "call candidate Smith and tell her she shouldn't ignore senior citizens" or "go online to let candidate Jones know you care how he is wasting tax dollars."

Because of a loophole in Michigan law, those electioneering ads - which are carefully crafted to meet the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law - do not currently require any campaign finance reporting. "

ACU State Ratings 2013--MI

Their PDF is hard to read, so I will summarize the relevant information here.

ACU rated 20 house votes and 16 senate votes from 2012 and 2013.  Their timing is curious, since this overlaps distinct legislative sessions.  This isn't a big deal for the state senate, which wasn't up for election in 2012, but the composition of the state house changed significantly.  Thus some state reps are rated only for 2012 (12 votes) or 2013 (8 votes)  Fourteen of the bills are the same for both halves of the legislature. The most common topics for the state house votes were taxes (4 votes), gun rights and hunting (4), and education (3).  The most common topic for the state senate votes was gun rights and hunting (5 votes).

ACU Michigan state senate ratings 2012/2013:

The patient will likely experience nausea, loss of bowel control, and episodes of depression, and screaming fits should not disconcert concerned caregivers.  Exhaustion should be expected as well, but remember the process is supposed to be harder on the cancerous cells, so its best not to give up before it is done. Another reason to continue the treatment is to prevent a re-occurrence of the disease before it is completely eliminated.

True, some forms of cancer can be fatal.  

The bad cells burrow away in areas sometimes hard to identify. And sometimes seemingly good cells turn bad in an instant. And unfortunately, we've seen it recently.  New cancer cells appeared before our very eyes, from as far away as the UP in fact.  The threshold has been met and now many think the patient is terminal, but perhaps its possible our treatment will have an effect to buy some time.  It may even help if we can get the patient to stop smoking. Perhaps even if we can re-instill the will to live.

We're not ready to give up yet.

However, there is the possibility that the bad cells will cling on long enough that the treatment hurts many of the good cells. We are sorry in advance for what needs to be done.

The Michigan lawmaker sponsoring a bill authorizing red light cameras has made a U-turn on the issue.

Rep. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, last year co-sponsored a bill that would have banned red light cameras. This year, he sponsored a bill that would have brought red light cameras to traffic intersections across the state.

However, Rep. Schmidt said he has chosen not to move the red light authorization bill forward because of concerns he says he now has about traffic cameras and privacy issues.

Concerns about privacy?  Sure it is.  At testimony, Rep. Peter Pettalia spelled that all out for Wayne.

Manufacturers of red light cameras have a reputation for heavy lobbying in state capitols. It is not clear if sponsors of the bill have received any campaign support from red light camera manufacturers. Contributions do not have to be reported until the end of the year in an off-election year, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's office.

Traverse City and Traverse County have been under financial pressure from unfunded pension liabilities, and revenue from red light cameras could provide some relief. However, Traverse City Manager Jered Ottenwess said he is not aware of any interest in installing the cameras.

All but one of the eight co-sponsors on the red light camera bill are Democrats from the Detroit area.

I suppose it's not a good day to be a Show Pony in the 104th with further political aspirations.

Oh and BTW Henry?  Thanks for the timely commentary.