Mirs Update Thread! I Joined Up.

[Timmahh]

I joined this site the other night. I ll keep this thread up to date with all Daily MIRS emails on the days events in Michigan legislature.

 

 

Important Stuff

 

Schuette, Schostak Back Bishop

 

Former Senate Majority Leader Mike BISHOP this evening kicked off his bid for Oakland County Prosecutor at an event attended by more than 300 people.

 

Among those gathered at the Marriott Centerpoint in Pontiac was Bishop's former rival in for the 2010 GOP attorney general nomination, now-AG Bill SCHUETTE. Michigan Republican Party (MRP) Chair Bobby SCHOSTAK, whom Bishop toyed with running against last year, also was in attendance.

 

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks PATTERSON is chairing Bishop's campaign this time around, as he did his AG bid. He introduced Bishop at the non-fundraising event tonight.

 

"All too often, we take for granted how law and order is so very important to the quality of our lives," Bishop said. "But often times, the Prosecutors' office becomes the last ray of hope a person has."

 

Patterson encouraged Bishop to challenge Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica COOPER, a first-term Democrat. Cooper and Patterson clashed over the initial county redistricting plan that favored Democrats, and Bishop filed a lawsuit on behalf of Republicans that was not successful in the Court of Appeals. However, the GOP-controlled Legislature intervened and changed the county's redistricting process (See "Senate Stamps Oakland County Redistricting Bill," 12/14/11).

 

"I believe that true leaders own the consequences of the decisions they make," Bishop said tonight.

 

Bishop served two terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, ending his time as majority leader from 2007 to 2010. The Rochester Republican is now an attorney with Clark Hill.

 

Sen. Jim MARLEAU (R-Lake Orion), Rep. Gail HAINES (R-Waterford), Rep. Chuck MOSS (R-Birmingham), Rep. Tom MCMILLIN (R-Rochester Hills), Rep. Marty KNOLLENBERG (R-Troy) and Sen. Mike KOWALL (R-White Lake) were also at the event.

 

Snyder Hosting Town Hall On Budget

Lt. Gov. Brian CALLEY announced today that Gov. Rick SNYDER will host an interactive Town Hall meeting over Facebook at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night, about seven hours after the Governor makes his budget presentation.

 

The meeting will stream live at www.facebook.com/rickformichigan and there are several ways you can participate. Questions can be submitted in advance at www.michigan.gov/townhall, posted on Snyder's Facebook wall or sent on Twitter to @OneToughNerd using the hashtag #AskGovSnyder.

 

Senate Plan Cuts Fewer Judges Than House

 

The Senate today started passing a package that would eliminate 36 trial court judges instead of the 45 positions slashed by the House.

 

Senate Majority Leader Randy RICHARDVILLE (R-Monroe) said he expects the House and Senate to reach an agreement this month on both the district court cuts and the Court of Appeals (COA) redistricting.

 

"We'll merge the plans before it's all over," Richardville said of the district court package. ". . . Like most of the other things that we do, this is the beginning."

 

The Senate did not add any judgeships in the bills passed today.

 

Richardville said he believes the House, Senate and Governor are "pretty close" on COA redistricting. The Senate took a pass in December on the COA bill (HB 5160) that would have kept the number of judges at 28 (See "Legislature Punts On COA Redistricting," 12/15/11). Gov. Rick SNYDER wants to eliminate four judgeships.

 

Snyder has said he would veto the bill without the four judgeships cuts, so a compromise could contain that.

 

Thirteen of the 14 bills in the district court package were passed today, with only a smattering of "no" votes. HB 5103 wasn't taken up on third reading, as Sen. John PAPPAGEORGE (R-Troy) wants to offer a technical amendment. That bill would dump six judges in suburban Detroit and could be taken up on Wednesday.

 

Legislation was discharged from the Senate Judiciary Committee, as there's been controversy over what judgeships the Judicial Resources Recommendations (JRR) report advised to ax (See "Judge Bill To Be Discharged Out Of Committee," 12/13/11). Sen. Tonya SCHUITMAKER (R-Lawton) was the most vocal.

 

The Senate last year passed one piece, HB 5105, which cut eight judgeships (See "Jones Ready To Move Entire Judge Reduction Package," 12/16/11).

 

Five bills passed today that cut fewer judges and will go back to the House: HB 5071, HB 5072, HB 5101, HB 5102 and HB 5104. HB 5101 had a technical amendment.

 

Three bills would remove from the package the elimination of three district judgeships apiece in Wexford, Houghton and Bay.

 

The S-1 of HB 5102 would retain Huron and Sanilac counties in separate circuits and would allow for the Huron district judge to convert to a probate judge. The bill would eliminate the first opening. One district judgeship would be cut in Chippewa County.

 

Eight bills passed today -- HB 5073, HB 5074, HB 5075, HB 5093, HB 5094, HB 5095, HB 5106 and HB 5107 -- were not amended from the House version and will go to the Governor.

 

The Senate has not planned to take up HB 5108, which would eliminate three judgeships in Hillsdale, Chippewa and Delta counties.

 

FULL List of events

 

MIRS Capitol Capsule, Tuesday, February 7, 2012

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761

PDA Friendly Web Version:

www.mirsnews.com/handheld/

PUBLIC ACTS

www.mirsnews.com/pa_report.php?rid=478

HOUSE ACTION REPORT

www.mirsnews.com/house_action_report/show/120

SENATE ACTION REPORT

www.mirsnews.com/senate_action_report/show/

INSIDE TODAY'S MIRS:

Romney Has 2:1 Lead Over Closest Rivals In Michigan

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won the Michigan presidential primary in 2008, has a two-to-one lead over all of his competitors in a Republican presidential primary survey conducted for MIRS by Mitchell Research.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29918

Dems Bend On Road Commission Package For Early Ed Money

A path for county voters and commissioners to eliminate their road commissions cleared the House today after House Speaker Jase BOLGER's (R-Marshall) team struck a deal with Democrats to support $12.5 million in early childhood education funding.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29910

State Tackling 30% Vet Unemployment

Former Republican Sen. Bill HARDIMAN said he hasn't seen it for himself, but he told a Senate committee today that he's heard that north of Gaylord, veterans are fending for themselves in the woods.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29903

Hopgood Urges Snyder To Get Hoekstra Ad Pulled

The Legislature's only Asian-American member today called on Gov. Rick SNYDER, as a U.S. Senate candidate Pete HOEKSTRA supporter, to use his influence to get Hoekstra to pull his "racially-tinged ad" and offensive Super Bowl ad.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29905

The Next 'Nerd' Spot Or 'Demon Sheep' Flop?

GOP media consultant Fred DAVIS is behind former U.S. Rep. Pete HOEKSTRA's controversial new China ad and some of the most talked-about spots in recent campaigns.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29906

Michigan Gets $101M In Mortgage Settlement

Michigan government is getting $101 million, in part, to assist residents against mortgage fraud scams under what is anticipated to be the second-largest financial recovery ever reached by attorneys general, Attorney General Bill Schuette announced today.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29919

Voters OK With Tying U Funding To Benchmarks

Nearly 68 percent of voters support allowing universities to earn back some of the money cut from higher education if the schools increase graduation and retention rates, keep administrative costs low, and increase financial aid, according to a Business Leaders of Michigan (BLM) survey.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29916

Amtrak Green-Lighted To Crank Up Speeds To 110

Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have received federal approval to increase maximum speeds of Amtrak trains in western Michigan and northern Indiana to 110 mph following successful installation and testing of a positive train control safety system on Amtrak-owned track between Kalamazoo and Porter, Ind.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29907

Hune: Hoekstra Ad Bizarre

Conservative Sen. Joe HUNE (R-Fowlerville) has not endorsed Pete Hoekstra for the U.S. Senate and the new commercial did not move the Livingston County lawmaker any closer to doing so.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29913

Senate Plan Cuts Fewer Judges Than House

The Senate today started passing a package that would eliminate 36 trial court judges instead of the 45 positions slashed by the House.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29909

Could The UN Strip Our Parental Rights?

The traditional rights of American parents are being put at risk by the United Nations and activist judges who could use international law to give children the ability to have an abortion without parental consent, according to testimony in a House committee.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29911

Schuette, Schostak Back Bishop

Former Senate Majority Leader Mike BISHOP this evening kicked off his bid for Oakland County Prosecutor at an event attended by more than 300 people.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29917

Proos Wants Senate To Go First In RTW Debate

Whenever the Right to Work topic comes up, the popular wisdom is it would start in the House. Not if Sen. John PROOS (R-St. Joseph) has anything to say about it.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29912

Johnson Running Against A Johnson . . . Again

This wouldn't be the first race Detroit advertising consultant Thamar JOHNSON has run when another candidate shares his last name.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29904

Audit: MPRI Needs Measure of Effectiveness

The Michigan Department of Corrections (DOC) needs a way to evaluate the effectiveness of the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI), according to a report from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG).

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29902

Equity Gap Closing Between School Districts

The equity gap among school districts in Michigan has been closing since Proposal A passed in 1994.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29908

Bits And Tibdits

Senate Approval For Supreme Court Justices?

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29915

On This Day In Michigan History

On Feb. 7, 1976, Sheila YOUNG, of Detroit, became the first American to ever win three medals in one winter Olympics when she captured a bronze medal in the 1000-meter speed-skating event at Davos, Switzerland.

www.mirsnews.com/capsule.php?gid=3761#29914

 

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