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Michigan Senate lets another day go by without a Medicaid expansion vote

By on June 18, 2013 in Michigan Republicans

Are Senate Republicans just running out the clock before summer recess? Or are they seriously considering Medicaid expansion’s merits?

After a day reportedly spent largely discussing Medicaid expansion, the Michigan Senate adjourned without voting on the issue. There’s no guarantee they’ll vote on it Wednesday or Thursday, when they adjourn for summer recess.

I really have nothing to go on but my gut, here, but the delay is making me anxious. Very anxious. Especially considering that Governor Rick Snyder is in Israel (although reportedly weighing in on Medicaid expansion, which he’s long supported) and Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley is out of town, and therefore unable to cast a tie-breaking vote if needed.…


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UPDATED: Democrats turned the opportunity for a win on school dissolution legislation into a complete loss

By on June 18, 2013 in Education, Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

Aye aye aye…

As I wrote last Friday, Republicans in the state House threw a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to help failing school districts back in the faces of Democrats who were trying to make improvements and ended up passing a bill that, once again, harms students and throws teachers to the curb.

Recall that, during the debate, Republicans acted like complete jackasses, absurdly blaming the teachers for the financial crises in places like Inkster and Buena Vista, calling them “hogs” and saying that “they should never try to get another job in education”. It was offensive to its core.

Well, there’s a bit more to this story and, unfortunately, Democrats played a major role in botching this up royally. Click through for details.


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Someone is already messing with Terri Lynn Land’s Senate bid. But who?

By on June 17, 2013 in Conservatives, Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

Really, it’s starting ALREADY???

Now that Mike Rogers has declined to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Carl Levin in 2014, the top contender is former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (though she has yet to file her paperwork.) Although she’s member of the Republican National Committee, she is not the first pick of most Republicans — and many of them have not had a problem saying so publicly — but she’s who they have for now.

Huffington Post reports that the website “LandForSenate.com” popped up recently. It’s no big surprise, given Rogers’ recent bowing out.…


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ACT NOW: Tell your Senator Michigan wants Medicaid expansion

By on June 17, 2013 in Michigan Republicans

We’re so close to making it happen. Keep up the pressure on your Republican legislators.

Medicaid expansion passed the Michigan House last week by a wide margin (76-31), which is incredibly encouraging. Now it goes to the Senate for a vote, which is very likely to happen this week before summer recess begins.

But pretty much everyone agrees that convincing the Senate to reach a compromise and vote YES on the bill is going to be a tougher win. You can bet that the Michigan Tea Party has been rallying its troops to urge every Republican Senator to vote against Medicaid expansion, because, you know, Obamacare.…


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Fake Democrat in special election for Michigan’s 49th District?

By on June 17, 2013 in Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

Here we go again…

Since Democratic House Rep Jim Ananich was elected to the state senate in a special election, his House seat in the 49th district has been a hot commodity. There are several Democratic candidates who will face off in the August 6th primary but one of them sticks out like a bit of a sore thumb. Karyn Miller, the current Supervisor of Charter Township of Flint has an interesting history. As a Republican.

In 2006 when she ran for Township Supervisor, she ran as the Republican candidate against Democrat Doug Carlton. She lost but, in 2008, she switched parties and won and has been Supervisor ever since.…


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UPDATED: Republicans pass bill to dissolve struggling small school districts and destroy bipartisanship in the process

By on June 14, 2013 in Education, Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

I do believe the Democrats were told to go Cheney themselves

In the dead of night last night, Michigan House Republicans passed a bill that would allow the state government to dissolve small school districts facing financial crises. The bills, House Bills 4813 (and a companion bill 4815), was originally introduced in a bipartisan fashion by Democrat David Rutledge of Ypsilanti and Republican Bill Rogers of Livingston County and looked quite a bit different than the legislation they passed last night.

I knew something was up when Rep. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor said on Facebook, “Getting ready to go back for a midnight session to pass bills granting Lansing the power to dissolve financially strapped school districts.”

What transpired was clearly ugly.…


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UPDATED: Michigan House votes in favor of Medicaid expansion 76 to 31

By on June 13, 2013 in Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

I’ve never been more optimistic. Keep up the activism.

UPDATED with links to a new action tool and a petition to be delivered directly to the Senate. See below.

I was hopeful, then I was nervous and now I’m genuinely surprised — in the best possible way.

I’m thrilled by the number of Michigan Representatives who voted in favor of Medicaid expansion. The margin is especially significant because so many were against it until now.

I don’t have all the particulars yet. But, clearly, common sense prevailed late Thursday night. Even more important, the best interests of Michigan and its citizens took precedence over politics.…


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There’s more hope than ever for Medicaid expansion in Michigan

By on June 12, 2013 in Conservatives, Michigan Republicans, Tea Party

Forward momentum and signs of compromise are promising.

Supporters of Medicaid expansion — which is pretty much everyone except the Tea Party and staunch conservatives, by most accounts — will be happy to hear some positive news.

The House Michigan Competitiveness committee voted 9-5 to approve a Medicaid expansion bill, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Opponents and supporters were advocating strongly leading up to Wednesday’s vote.

The efforts of pro-Medicaid expansion activists like the Michigan Nurses Association are having a positive impact. State Rep. Mike Shirkey (R-Clark Lake) and chairman of the committee, was quoted in the Detroit Free Press on his change of heart:

I was a hard no to begin with.…

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Michigan Republican Colbeck still worried kids are being kept from learning American history

By on June 12, 2013 in Conservatives, Education, Michigan Republicans, Tea Party

Draped in a flag, carrying a cross

The funny thing about so-called “small government” Republicans is their hypocritical desire to pass more and more laws, many of them with no purpose (like the Senate resolution that was passed last week “to express support for the state of Michigan officially recognizing September 19, 2013, as International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.) Michigan Senator Patrick Colbeck introduced legislation earlier this year to prevent what he sees as the censorship of American history in our schools. He’s back at it again with a new bill that authorizes the teaching of American history. It’s yet another solution looking for a problem to solve.…


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StudentsFirst sends out deceptive email urging support of “Teach to the Test Teacher Pay” bill

By on June 11, 2013 in Corporatism, Education, Labor, Michigan Republicans, Teachers

ForProfitSchoolsFirst

Last month, I wrote about yet another Republican attack on teachers in the form of House Bill 4625. This bill, as I said then, would make teachers’ pay primarily based on student progress. Current law says that teacher pay should be using job performance and job accomplishments as a significant factor. House Bill 4625, introduced by Republican Pete Lund, would make teacher pay based primarily on these factors. As I pointed out then, Republicans have made it harder for teachers to help their students succeed and now want to punish them by making progress, something that is much, much harder to achieve, the basis for their pay.…


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