Before I get into the action of the week, please remember that this Thursday at 6 pm the House Democrats will bring our "Real State of the State" listening tour to the Lansing area. As part of an effort for my colleagues to hear from constituents about the issues that concern them the most, the Michigan House Democrats will be hosting a series of town halls across the state. The Real State of the State Listening Tour will be in mid-Michigan on March 7 at the Delta Township District Library at 6:00 p.m. The goal is to hear from Michiganders about their problems at the grassroots level so we can create more effective policy here in Lansing. I hope to see you there!
This week was a particularly exciting week for me. While reviewing the Blue Cross Blue Shield legislation (which I will discuss in depth below), I found an error that would have cost Lansing $600,000, Detroit $2.5 million, and cities throughout Michigan a total of $4 million in 2014. Once BCBSM becomes converts to a mutual, they will be paying property taxes. While they intend to pay in 2014, the language in the legislation would have had them paying state taxes starting in 2014 and local taxes starting in 2015. In local government, an entity has to be a taxpayer on December 31st in order to pay taxes in the next year. The legislation had indicated a January 1, 2014 date and needed to indicate that BCBSM is a taxpayer as of December 31, 2013 for purposes of local taxation. While this was an inadvertent mistake, it would have cost Lansing $600,000, Detroit $2.5 million, and other cities with Blue Cross properties a substantial amount. I was able to work with BCBSM and the Republican majority to pass an amendment that would fix this problem. You can read more about this in an excellent Mlive article here.
On the floor this week, we considered two major pieces of legislation. As mentioned above, we considered the conversion of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBSM) from a special charitable designation to a mutual insurance company. This needed to be done because of provisions in the national Affordable Care Act. BCBSM was formerly the insurer of last resort and had to take anyone that wanted to be insured. Because this would create higher costs for them, they had a special tax exempt status. Under the Affordable Care Act, all insurance companies have to insure people in this manner so BCBSM no longer needs that designation. They wanted to be classified the same as other non-profit insurance companies and asked for this change. The change would also have them paying taxes to locals and the state ($600,000 to Lansing every year) which will be helpful to those budgets. The one major concern that was raised dealt with coverage for seniors and the disabled. Currently BCBSM covers something called Medigap, which is supplemental health insurance plans sold to Medicare beneficiaries in the United States that provide coverage for medical expenses not or only partially covered by Medicare. Medigap's name is derived from the notion that it exists to cover the difference or "gap" between the expenses reimbursed by Medicare and the total amount charged. BCBSM charges small businesses a certain percentage that is used for this Medigap program. That assessment will go away. BCBSM will create a fund to cover these Medigap subsidies, but there are concerns that not all seniors will receive dollars from this fund and that there will be a means test to decide which seniors receive dollars. Additionally, there were concerns that disabled people will not be covered. Rep. Kate Segal (D-Battle Creek) won a successful amendment to allow the fund to be used for disabled people. There were still concerns, though, that the fund is not enough to cover all seniors. Rep. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) proposed an amendment to increase the dollars for seniors. This amendment was rejected by the Republican majority. I was supportive of that amendment. When the bill finally came up, I decided to vote for it because of the positive tax dollars for Lansing and because I am hopeful that it will create competition that will stabilize or reduce health care prices in the future. I am disappointed that we could not boost the amount for seniors, but I felt that voting for this is the best thing for my district and constituents. The final vote was 92-18. The bills are expected to be concurred in by the Senate next week and go to the Governor for his expected signature.
The second major piece of legislation will create a state-federal partnership that will create and run a Health Exchange in Michigan. The bill accepts $30.67 million in federal grant money to set up a federal-state partnership to create the federally mandated health insurance exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The dollars will be available until January 17, 2014, and will be used to create an online health care exchange by October 1, when enrollment would begin. The exchanges, which allow residents to compare different health insurance providers, become effective January 1, 2014. The bill still has to be considered and passed by the Senate to take effect. HB 4111 passed 78-31. I support the creation of the health exchanges which will provide health insurance subsidies to people making between 133% to 400% of the federal poverty rate, and voted for these bills because we should accept the federal dollars to do this. I would prefer to see a state-run exchange, but the Republicans in the Legislature rejected that last year. The next-best option is for a state-federal partnership. If that had been rejected, the federal government would have imposed something on Michigan.
I had all three of my committees meet this month. In Regulatory Reform, we passed legislation that will create regulation and licensing for amateur mixed martial arts (see previous blog). We made the changes that all agreed to and they passed unanimously. We also passed legislation dealing with redeeming soda pop cans. Under current law, people can be fined (and receive jail time in extreme circumstances) if they redeem cans from out of state. This will add to the law any "attempt" to redeem cans. The bills passed committee and will be heard on the House floor soon. I supported the bills as a reasonable addition to the law to protect our borders and prevent people from scamming the system. Two members of the committee raised objections to the possibility of jail time because of the extreme expenses that we have in our jails now. In Ethics and Elections, we passed HB 4307 which allows County Commissions to fill a vacancy. Under current law, if there is a vacancy in the odd year then an appointment is made and an election is held at the next possible election date (February, May, August, or November); if there is a vacancy in the even year, an appointment is made which stays until the end of the year. The odd year provision has proven costly. In Ingham County a few years ago, we had a situation like this where a person had to run four times in the even year (special primary in February, special general in May, regular primary in August, regular general in November). This proved costly for the City of East Lansing, and really was too many elections for one person in a year. This bill only had a hearing and will come up for a vote this Tuesday. I am planning to support it. Also up for a hearing was HB 4169-71, which eliminate city and township boards of canvassers and transfer the functions to county boards of canvassers. This would provide savings for local communities. Apparently, many municipalities have already done this but not all because their are charter limitations that are hard to remove. The municipal and county clerks supported this. They also said that counties and locals both have to canvas the same votes at the same precincts, and the current law is duplicitive. Rep. Heise (R-Northville) raised concerns that this should be optional for a community because some local boards work well. This will be voted on this Tuesday as well. In Competitiveness, we heard a presentation from the Enterprise Group of Jackson, which has a school to teach manufacturing to children. It seems to be very successful.
Finally, thanks to everyone that came or contributed to my fundraiser on Thursday! We had a tremendous turnout and it showed the incredible support that I have in my first few months as a State Representative. I will keep this momentum going, and appreciate the contributions and support that I have received! If you still want to contribute, you can do so at www.andyschor.com or by sending a check to Friends of Andy Schor, PO Box 13073, Lansing, MI 48901.
Next week could be a busy one, with the possibility of the House and Senate considering one of many proposals to increase funding for transportation and roads. Stay tuned...
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Fundraiser, Regulatory Reform and Competitiveness Committees, House Session, Coffee/Tea Hours, Dem Listening Tour, Community Events/Updates
Happy President’s Day! I hope everyone had a great weekend.
First, before diving into the issues, I wanted to announce my first FUNDRAISER of the year! While the campaign just ended last year, campaigning never really ends. I have already heard of a Democratic primary opponent for my re-election next year (that’s right…just a month in the job and this person wants to challenge me already!). Additionally, I continue to talk to constituents and residents, and many times that must be done through campaign resources. So, I hope you will be able to join me at my first fundraiser of the year. Or, if you are not in the Lansing area, I hope you will be willing to contribute to my re-election effort.
If you are in the area, you can come to the Michigan Municipal League office (208 N Capitol Ave, 1st Floor) on February 28th for breakfast from 8 – 9:30 am. Should be a great time! Please RSVP to andy.schor@gmail.com or call me at 517-618-1666.
If you are not in the area and are willing to contribute, or if you cannot make it that day, please go to www.andyschor.com and click on the donate button. Or you can mail a check to PO Box 13073, Lansing, MI 48901.
Now, for the legislative stuff…
I had two committees meet last week. The first was the Regulator Reform committee. As you may recall, this committee deals with all regulated industries. We first heard a presentation from the Office of Regulator Reform. Regulatory Reform. They discussed administrative rules, and how the office is trying to reduce the number of rules. There are about 20,000 regulatory rules, and the office is trying to remove those rules that don't make sense or make Michigan anti-competitive. The Regulator Reform committee will be reviewing legislation dealing with these rules which are recommendations from the several "administrative rules committees" that met last year. Some I will agree with, and some I will not. Personally, I want to reduce unnecessary and redundant rules and help Michigan's competitiveness and economic development, but I don't want to lessen safety and public health for residents.
After the presentation, we heard testimony on bills that would create new regulations for the new sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The irony was not lost on committee members that after hearing of the reduction in regulation, we were considering bills that would create new regulations! These bills, sponsored by Rep. Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) are a reintroduction of bills that passed the House last year when sponsored by Rep. Dave Agema (R-74th District). These bills would create new regulations for amateur mixed martial arts competitions and would create licensing, regulations, violations, an advisory committee, and a fund. They also create penalties for violations of the act. There are no standards now for this sport and its promoters, and we heard some real horror stories. There have been many mismatches of fighters, and fighters of different skills required to fight, which have led to serious injuries of the fighters. There is no medical availability for wound treatment, very limited requirements for insurance, and very real dangers for the fighters. Several of the fighters testified and gave examples of the dangerous situations. While they realized that they choose to fight, they pointed out that there should still be precautions just like other sports. There were questions from committee members about age of fighters and substance abuse. Both will be addressed in the bills. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs testified neutral. They asked to require an ambulance presence during the event, a doctor ringside, an age limit of 18,and prevention of a fighter fighting multiple times in a day (possibly only if there was injury). They also asked to have professionals and amateurs regulated in the same act. There was no testimony in opposition to the bills, and we expect to pass this legislation out of committee tomorrow.
My second committee that met was the Competitiveness Committee. This was an organizational meeting, where we found out that the committee would be broken up into three workgroups to review areas of competition in Michigan. The Democrats expressed opposition to the fact that these workgroups would be meeting privately without public comment. The Republican Vice Chair of the committee said that this was a way for members to express their opinions and work on issues that can be recommended to the entire committee then discussed in public. These workgroups will be meeting until early April then, presumably, will be coming back to the full committee for discussion. I was assigned to the workgroup to discuss "what Michigan must do to become a top jobs provider and
magnet for retaining/attracting business and talent." According to the Chair's document, this includes: regional jobs hub, attracting jobs providers to Michigan, relocation consultants, creating positive
economic environment, cost of energy, getting people to come back to Michigan, why are people leaving, competition vs. collaboration, border issues with Indiana and Canada, impact of regional tax variances, German model for skilled trades, workforce development, money following students, importance of internships, cross-cultural talent magnet, talent retention, vocational issues, and importance of education. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas (legislative or otherwise) regarding the above issues, please send them my way. I plan to bring to the table placemaking and talent attraction/retention.
In House session, we passed our first two bills. The first bill was non-controversial and dealt with regulations of security alarm companies. Our second bill was a tax bill that needed a date change to become effective now instead of April 1st. We also started working up a bill dealing with ensuring that sex offenders are on the public list (SB 44). I expect that this bill will come up this week, and will report more on it after debate and a vote.
My first Coffee and Tea with Andy was held on Saturday at The Avenue (formerly Gone Wired Café). It went very well! We had about 20 people there and had great conversations about upcoming legislation coming in the House of Representatives. We also discussed some of my first bills introduced. Great comments and great questions! The next Coffee and Tea with Andy will be Monday, April 8 at the Gier Community Center (2400 Hall Street, Lansing). But before that, there will be a House Democratic Caucus Listening Tour event (called “The Real State of the State”) at the Delta Township Library (5130 Davenport Drive) on March 7th from 6-7 pm. It will be hosted by Rep. Theresa Abed, Rep. Sam Singh, and me. I hope everyone will try to be there to share what you think the priorities should be for our state!
As many of you know, I do an e-newsletter from my State Representative office. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to share community events in that official newsletter (which I think is ridiculous). But those are the House rules as set by the majority party. I do my best to list many of these community events on facebook daily (www.facebook.com/andyschor) and I hope everyone has subscribed (“liked”) my facebook page. I will also list them below.
As always, you can email my office at andyschor@gmail.com or call at 517-373-0826!
Andy
Community Update/Events
Volunteer Nominations for the 2013 Governor's Service Award
The Michigan Community Service Commission is currently accepting nominations for the 2013
Governor's Service Award. To nominate an outstanding individual, organization, or business committed
to service and volunteerism, call 517.335.4295 or visit www.michigan.gov/volunteer. Eight awards
will be presented by the Michigan Community Service Commission in various categories reflecting the
diversity of volunteers in our state at this summer's Governor's Service Awards celebration. Note that
the deadline for nominations is Friday, March 1st.
Annual Backpack Drive
Lansing Community College's Sign Language/Interpreter Program is currently accepting gently used
backpack and large duffle bag donations to help meet basic school needs of deaf children in third world
countries. Donations can be dropped off at Lansing Community College's Gannon Building, located at
500 N. Grand Avenue, through Friday, March 1st. For more information, call 517.483.1546 or e-mail is-
asl@lcc.edu.
Westside Neighborhood Association Scholarships
The Westside Neighborhood Association is currently seeking applications for two $1,000 scholarships
scheduled to be awarded in the 2013/2014 academic year. For more information about how to apply,
visit: http://wnalansing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-WNA-Scholarship.pdf. Note that
applications are due for submission no later than Friday, March 1st.
Military Officers Association Scholarships
The Capital Area Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America's expanded scholarship program
is currently offering a number of scholarship grants in blocks of $1,000 to $1,250 and book allowances of
$
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Lansing Alumnae Chapter Scholarship
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Lansing Alumnae Chapter is currently accepting applications for
its annual scholarship, which it awards to deserving Lansing-area high school seniors. For information
about submitting an application for the scholarship, visit www.lansingalumnaedeltas.org. All
applications are due on April 15th.
Capitol Area District Library Mid-Day Movies
Every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the Downtown Lansing Branch of the Capital Area District Library (located
at 401 S. Capitol Avenue), hosts a free movie viewing in its auditorium. To find out each week's film
selection or for more information, call 517.367.6363.
Free Tax Assistance from AARP
This year, the AARP is once again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low to
moderate incomes through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. In 2012, 1,067 AARP Foundation
Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 75,000 Michigan residents file their federal, state, and local tax
returnshttp://www.aarp.org
Volunteers Needed for American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is currently seeking Cancer Resource Center volunteers in our area.
Volunteers will be asked to commit to work a minimum of eight hours per month at Sparrow Regional
Cancer center in Lansing. Interested individuals should contact Julie Renner for more information or to
sign up to volunteer. She can be reached at 517.664.1361.
Flu Season is Here
As most of you know, we're in the midst of a touch flu season. If you have the flu, stay home and follow
your doctor's recommendations to help prevent the spread of the flu. If you don't have the flu, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services recommends that everyone six months of age and older gets
a flu shot. To find a location offering flu vaccines near you, visit http://flushot.healthmap.org/?address.
First, before diving into the issues, I wanted to announce my first FUNDRAISER of the year! While the campaign just ended last year, campaigning never really ends. I have already heard of a Democratic primary opponent for my re-election next year (that’s right…just a month in the job and this person wants to challenge me already!). Additionally, I continue to talk to constituents and residents, and many times that must be done through campaign resources. So, I hope you will be able to join me at my first fundraiser of the year. Or, if you are not in the Lansing area, I hope you will be willing to contribute to my re-election effort.
If you are in the area, you can come to the Michigan Municipal League office (208 N Capitol Ave, 1st Floor) on February 28th for breakfast from 8 – 9:30 am. Should be a great time! Please RSVP to andy.schor@gmail.com or call me at 517-618-1666.
If you are not in the area and are willing to contribute, or if you cannot make it that day, please go to www.andyschor.com and click on the donate button. Or you can mail a check to PO Box 13073, Lansing, MI 48901.
Now, for the legislative stuff…
I had two committees meet last week. The first was the Regulator Reform committee. As you may recall, this committee deals with all regulated industries. We first heard a presentation from the Office of Regulator Reform. Regulatory Reform. They discussed administrative rules, and how the office is trying to reduce the number of rules. There are about 20,000 regulatory rules, and the office is trying to remove those rules that don't make sense or make Michigan anti-competitive. The Regulator Reform committee will be reviewing legislation dealing with these rules which are recommendations from the several "administrative rules committees" that met last year. Some I will agree with, and some I will not. Personally, I want to reduce unnecessary and redundant rules and help Michigan's competitiveness and economic development, but I don't want to lessen safety and public health for residents.
After the presentation, we heard testimony on bills that would create new regulations for the new sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The irony was not lost on committee members that after hearing of the reduction in regulation, we were considering bills that would create new regulations! These bills, sponsored by Rep. Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) are a reintroduction of bills that passed the House last year when sponsored by Rep. Dave Agema (R-74th District). These bills would create new regulations for amateur mixed martial arts competitions and would create licensing, regulations, violations, an advisory committee, and a fund. They also create penalties for violations of the act. There are no standards now for this sport and its promoters, and we heard some real horror stories. There have been many mismatches of fighters, and fighters of different skills required to fight, which have led to serious injuries of the fighters. There is no medical availability for wound treatment, very limited requirements for insurance, and very real dangers for the fighters. Several of the fighters testified and gave examples of the dangerous situations. While they realized that they choose to fight, they pointed out that there should still be precautions just like other sports. There were questions from committee members about age of fighters and substance abuse. Both will be addressed in the bills. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs testified neutral. They asked to require an ambulance presence during the event, a doctor ringside, an age limit of 18,and prevention of a fighter fighting multiple times in a day (possibly only if there was injury). They also asked to have professionals and amateurs regulated in the same act. There was no testimony in opposition to the bills, and we expect to pass this legislation out of committee tomorrow.
My second committee that met was the Competitiveness Committee. This was an organizational meeting, where we found out that the committee would be broken up into three workgroups to review areas of competition in Michigan. The Democrats expressed opposition to the fact that these workgroups would be meeting privately without public comment. The Republican Vice Chair of the committee said that this was a way for members to express their opinions and work on issues that can be recommended to the entire committee then discussed in public. These workgroups will be meeting until early April then, presumably, will be coming back to the full committee for discussion. I was assigned to the workgroup to discuss "what Michigan must do to become a top jobs provider and
magnet for retaining/attracting business and talent." According to the Chair's document, this includes: regional jobs hub, attracting jobs providers to Michigan, relocation consultants, creating positive
economic environment, cost of energy, getting people to come back to Michigan, why are people leaving, competition vs. collaboration, border issues with Indiana and Canada, impact of regional tax variances, German model for skilled trades, workforce development, money following students, importance of internships, cross-cultural talent magnet, talent retention, vocational issues, and importance of education. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas (legislative or otherwise) regarding the above issues, please send them my way. I plan to bring to the table placemaking and talent attraction/retention.
In House session, we passed our first two bills. The first bill was non-controversial and dealt with regulations of security alarm companies. Our second bill was a tax bill that needed a date change to become effective now instead of April 1st. We also started working up a bill dealing with ensuring that sex offenders are on the public list (SB 44). I expect that this bill will come up this week, and will report more on it after debate and a vote.
My first Coffee and Tea with Andy was held on Saturday at The Avenue (formerly Gone Wired Café). It went very well! We had about 20 people there and had great conversations about upcoming legislation coming in the House of Representatives. We also discussed some of my first bills introduced. Great comments and great questions! The next Coffee and Tea with Andy will be Monday, April 8 at the Gier Community Center (2400 Hall Street, Lansing). But before that, there will be a House Democratic Caucus Listening Tour event (called “The Real State of the State”) at the Delta Township Library (5130 Davenport Drive) on March 7th from 6-7 pm. It will be hosted by Rep. Theresa Abed, Rep. Sam Singh, and me. I hope everyone will try to be there to share what you think the priorities should be for our state!
As many of you know, I do an e-newsletter from my State Representative office. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to share community events in that official newsletter (which I think is ridiculous). But those are the House rules as set by the majority party. I do my best to list many of these community events on facebook daily (www.facebook.com/andyschor) and I hope everyone has subscribed (“liked”) my facebook page. I will also list them below.
As always, you can email my office at andyschor@gmail.com or call at 517-373-0826!
Andy
Community Update/Events
Volunteer Nominations for the 2013 Governor's Service Award
The Michigan Community Service Commission is currently accepting nominations for the 2013
Governor's Service Award. To nominate an outstanding individual, organization, or business committed
to service and volunteerism, call 517.335.4295 or visit www.michigan.gov/volunteer. Eight awards
will be presented by the Michigan Community Service Commission in various categories reflecting the
diversity of volunteers in our state at this summer's Governor's Service Awards celebration. Note that
the deadline for nominations is Friday, March 1st.
Annual Backpack Drive
Lansing Community College's Sign Language/Interpreter Program is currently accepting gently used
backpack and large duffle bag donations to help meet basic school needs of deaf children in third world
countries. Donations can be dropped off at Lansing Community College's Gannon Building, located at
500 N. Grand Avenue, through Friday, March 1st. For more information, call 517.483.1546 or e-mail is-
asl@lcc.edu.
Westside Neighborhood Association Scholarships
The Westside Neighborhood Association is currently seeking applications for two $1,000 scholarships
scheduled to be awarded in the 2013/2014 academic year. For more information about how to apply,
visit: http://wnalansing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013-WNA-Scholarship.pdf. Note that
applications are due for submission no later than Friday, March 1st.
Military Officers Association Scholarships
The Capital Area Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America's expanded scholarship program
is currently offering a number of scholarship grants in blocks of $1,000 to $1,250 and book allowances of
$
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Lansing Alumnae Chapter Scholarship
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Lansing Alumnae Chapter is currently accepting applications for
its annual scholarship, which it awards to deserving Lansing-area high school seniors. For information
about submitting an application for the scholarship, visit www.lansingalumnaedeltas.org. All
applications are due on April 15th.
Capitol Area District Library Mid-Day Movies
Every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the Downtown Lansing Branch of the Capital Area District Library (located
at 401 S. Capitol Avenue), hosts a free movie viewing in its auditorium. To find out each week's film
selection or for more information, call 517.367.6363.
Free Tax Assistance from AARP
This year, the AARP is once again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low to
moderate incomes through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. In 2012, 1,067 AARP Foundation
Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 75,000 Michigan residents file their federal, state, and local tax
returnshttp://www.aarp.org
Volunteers Needed for American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is currently seeking Cancer Resource Center volunteers in our area.
Volunteers will be asked to commit to work a minimum of eight hours per month at Sparrow Regional
Cancer center in Lansing. Interested individuals should contact Julie Renner for more information or to
sign up to volunteer. She can be reached at 517.664.1361.
Flu Season is Here
As most of you know, we're in the midst of a touch flu season. If you have the flu, stay home and follow
your doctor's recommendations to help prevent the spread of the flu. If you don't have the flu, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services recommends that everyone six months of age and older gets
a flu shot. To find a location offering flu vaccines near you, visit http://flushot.healthmap.org/?address.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Legislation Introduced, Bills Co-Sponsored, Committees, Upcoming Events
It is definitely not easy to get this blog done. I have every intention to do this every week, but things have been quite busy…and we haven’t even taken a vote yet!
Since my first blog, lots has happened. I have met and created relationships with colleagues on my side of the aisle, and was named Assistant Floor Leader by Democratic Leader Greimel. This is a tremendous honor, and I look forward to working closely with Democratic Floor Leader Hobbs as we attempt to get our ideas, bills, and amendments considered. I also have been named Chair of the bi-partisan Capitol Caucus and will work closely with legislators on both sides of the aisle to help the greater Lansing area.
The Governor gave his State of the State speech, which is the start of the legislative session. He said a lot of things, and you can read his speech here: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/Journal/house/pdf/2013-HJ-01-16-002.pdf
I have been working hard on legislation and have introduced a few bills and resolutions. So far, here is the legislation that I have introduced:
- HB 4104 and HB 4105 – these bills add libraries to the “gun-free zones” (which are places where people can not bring concealed weapons such as schools, churches, day care centers, etc). The bills also prevent people from openly carrying guns in these “gun-free zones.” Under current law, a person can openly carry a gun in any public place, including schools, churches, bars, dormitories, etc. My legislation will simply prevent the open carry of guns in those areas, exempting police and private security officers.
- HR 17 – this resolution urges Governor Snyder to accept the expanded federal Medicaid dollars. There are hundreds of millions of dollars on the table from the federal government, which would provide coverage for between 400,000 and 600,000 residents. It would also reduce uncompensated care and emergency room visits, thus reducing health care costs. Four Republican governors have accepted these dollars, and my resolution calls on the Governor to do this as well.
I will also be introducing these bills this week, which were campaign pledges:
- A bill to equalize funding for k-12 per pupil dollars. I said repeatedly during the campaign that some students receive up to $12,000 per pupil, while Lansing receives $7,100. This gap needs to be closed, and I will introduce a bill to re-create the 2X system where the lower funded schools get more new money. This will close the gap in about ten years. I also co-sponsored a Republican constitutional amendment and a Republican bill to close the funding gap. This is not a partisan issue, but is necessary for Lansing and Lansing Township residents!
- A bill to create an income tax credit for the costs of college for those students that choose to remain and be employed in Michigan. I have already been told that there is a good chance that this bill will be heard in committee as we analyze how to make Michigan more competitive.
Additionally, I have co-sponsored the following bills:
HJR C - Constitutional amendment to equalize amount of per pupil funding for all local school districts.
HJR E - Require that only bills with appropriations for state budgets are not subject to referendum. This addresses the issue where the Republicans last session put small appropriations in several policy bills (right-to-work, abortion, etc) so that these bills cannot be put up for a vote of the people.
HR 10 - A resolution to declare February 4, 2013, as Rosa Parks Day of Courage in the state of Michigan. (adopted)
HB 4101 – create a fund-raising license plate for girl scouts of America
HB 4103 – allow for no-reason absentee (early) voting
HB 4124 – create a veteran's ombudsman
HB 4127 - allow GPS bail monitoring for probation of certain offenders
HB 4146 – create an income tax credit for expenditures by school teachers for certain supplies
All this in just two weeks of legislative session!
We received committee assignments last week. I was place on the following committees:
- Elections and Ethics – this committee is expected to take up a variety of controversial bills, including the bill to create no-reason absentee voting and the bill that would change the electoral college votes from all-or-nothing to being issued by congressional district.
- Regulatory Reform – this committee is expected to be busy reviewing current liquor regulations, gambling issues, tobacco issues, and others.
- Michigan Competitiveness – this committee will be a think tank of ideas. The Chair has indicated a willingness to discuss whatever members think will make Michigan more competitive. This will be the most thought-provoking committee as we try to make Michigan not just competitive but the best state in the nation.
My office has also been working to assist constituents and we have been able to do this successfully thanks to the very hard work of my staff – Karissa Chabot-Purchase and Marilyn Plummer. Both Lansing residents, these two awesome women are working hard for the citizens of the 68th district every day (and nights and weekends!). I hope everyone has a chance to interact with them.
Although the House of Representatives has not yet taken up bills, the Senate has already begun passing bills. I expect session to become active and busy very soon!
A few upcoming events to know about:
- February 16 (Saturday) will be my first Coffee with Andy. We will be at The Avenue Café (formerly Gone Wired) at 1419 East Michigan Avenue in Lansing from 9 ti 10 in the morning. I am scheduling coffee hours where I can update constituents on important issues, and where constituents can come and tell me their thoughts and views on issues and what is going on in the area. We will have the entire schedule out soon, and it should be in the newsletter that you receive in the mail. We are also looking at some town hall meetings, which are yet to be scheduled. I hope to see you there!
- February 28th will be my first fundraiser of the year. I expect another spirited campaign in 2014 and want to be sure to be able to get my message out. This fundraiser will be a breakfast from 8 to 9:30 at the Michigan Municipal League office at 208 N Capitol Avenue in Lansing. And if you can’t make it, you can always donate online at www.andyschor.com. Thanks for all your support!
That’s it for now. I will try to keep you updated as regularly as I can. And, as always, please feel free to contact me at andyschor@house.mi.gov or at 517-373-0826. And you can check out legislative things on my official website at http://schor.housedems.com, or you can see the news articles and other political things at www.andyschor.com.
Andy
Since my first blog, lots has happened. I have met and created relationships with colleagues on my side of the aisle, and was named Assistant Floor Leader by Democratic Leader Greimel. This is a tremendous honor, and I look forward to working closely with Democratic Floor Leader Hobbs as we attempt to get our ideas, bills, and amendments considered. I also have been named Chair of the bi-partisan Capitol Caucus and will work closely with legislators on both sides of the aisle to help the greater Lansing area.
The Governor gave his State of the State speech, which is the start of the legislative session. He said a lot of things, and you can read his speech here: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/Journal/house/pdf/2013-HJ-01-16-002.pdf
I have been working hard on legislation and have introduced a few bills and resolutions. So far, here is the legislation that I have introduced:
- HB 4104 and HB 4105 – these bills add libraries to the “gun-free zones” (which are places where people can not bring concealed weapons such as schools, churches, day care centers, etc). The bills also prevent people from openly carrying guns in these “gun-free zones.” Under current law, a person can openly carry a gun in any public place, including schools, churches, bars, dormitories, etc. My legislation will simply prevent the open carry of guns in those areas, exempting police and private security officers.
- HR 17 – this resolution urges Governor Snyder to accept the expanded federal Medicaid dollars. There are hundreds of millions of dollars on the table from the federal government, which would provide coverage for between 400,000 and 600,000 residents. It would also reduce uncompensated care and emergency room visits, thus reducing health care costs. Four Republican governors have accepted these dollars, and my resolution calls on the Governor to do this as well.
I will also be introducing these bills this week, which were campaign pledges:
- A bill to equalize funding for k-12 per pupil dollars. I said repeatedly during the campaign that some students receive up to $12,000 per pupil, while Lansing receives $7,100. This gap needs to be closed, and I will introduce a bill to re-create the 2X system where the lower funded schools get more new money. This will close the gap in about ten years. I also co-sponsored a Republican constitutional amendment and a Republican bill to close the funding gap. This is not a partisan issue, but is necessary for Lansing and Lansing Township residents!
- A bill to create an income tax credit for the costs of college for those students that choose to remain and be employed in Michigan. I have already been told that there is a good chance that this bill will be heard in committee as we analyze how to make Michigan more competitive.
Additionally, I have co-sponsored the following bills:
HJR C - Constitutional amendment to equalize amount of per pupil funding for all local school districts.
HJR E - Require that only bills with appropriations for state budgets are not subject to referendum. This addresses the issue where the Republicans last session put small appropriations in several policy bills (right-to-work, abortion, etc) so that these bills cannot be put up for a vote of the people.
HR 10 - A resolution to declare February 4, 2013, as Rosa Parks Day of Courage in the state of Michigan. (adopted)
HB 4101 – create a fund-raising license plate for girl scouts of America
HB 4103 – allow for no-reason absentee (early) voting
HB 4124 – create a veteran's ombudsman
HB 4127 - allow GPS bail monitoring for probation of certain offenders
HB 4146 – create an income tax credit for expenditures by school teachers for certain supplies
All this in just two weeks of legislative session!
We received committee assignments last week. I was place on the following committees:
- Elections and Ethics – this committee is expected to take up a variety of controversial bills, including the bill to create no-reason absentee voting and the bill that would change the electoral college votes from all-or-nothing to being issued by congressional district.
- Regulatory Reform – this committee is expected to be busy reviewing current liquor regulations, gambling issues, tobacco issues, and others.
- Michigan Competitiveness – this committee will be a think tank of ideas. The Chair has indicated a willingness to discuss whatever members think will make Michigan more competitive. This will be the most thought-provoking committee as we try to make Michigan not just competitive but the best state in the nation.
My office has also been working to assist constituents and we have been able to do this successfully thanks to the very hard work of my staff – Karissa Chabot-Purchase and Marilyn Plummer. Both Lansing residents, these two awesome women are working hard for the citizens of the 68th district every day (and nights and weekends!). I hope everyone has a chance to interact with them.
Although the House of Representatives has not yet taken up bills, the Senate has already begun passing bills. I expect session to become active and busy very soon!
A few upcoming events to know about:
- February 16 (Saturday) will be my first Coffee with Andy. We will be at The Avenue Café (formerly Gone Wired) at 1419 East Michigan Avenue in Lansing from 9 ti 10 in the morning. I am scheduling coffee hours where I can update constituents on important issues, and where constituents can come and tell me their thoughts and views on issues and what is going on in the area. We will have the entire schedule out soon, and it should be in the newsletter that you receive in the mail. We are also looking at some town hall meetings, which are yet to be scheduled. I hope to see you there!
- February 28th will be my first fundraiser of the year. I expect another spirited campaign in 2014 and want to be sure to be able to get my message out. This fundraiser will be a breakfast from 8 to 9:30 at the Michigan Municipal League office at 208 N Capitol Avenue in Lansing. And if you can’t make it, you can always donate online at www.andyschor.com. Thanks for all your support!
That’s it for now. I will try to keep you updated as regularly as I can. And, as always, please feel free to contact me at andyschor@house.mi.gov or at 517-373-0826. And you can check out legislative things on my official website at http://schor.housedems.com, or you can see the news articles and other political things at www.andyschor.com.
Andy
Monday, January 14, 2013
Schor Blog Returns - Now Dealing with House of Reps Issues, Swearing In, Revenue Estimating Conference
Friends,
As a County Commissioner, I did a weekly blog that talked about what happened that week. I was able to do this for many years.
Now that I am in the House of Representatives, I would like to continue that tradition. I will do my best to publish something as stuff happens in the Legislature. This can be a bit complicated, though. Rep. Joan Bauer, who I have the honor to follow in this position, maintained a great list and I will continue to email that list. I have a great list from my campaign. I also have a great list of friends on facebook both on my personal and political pages. As such, I am trying to accomplish updating all of these without too much duplication. If I hit you 2 or 3 times, my apologies and I will try to consolidate all of these. But that may take a few weeks. Bear with me.
So, for the first update…
There were two big events last week. The first was the swearing in of the 110 members of the House of Representatives. It was very exciting for me, as I officially began my journey that will last for the next two years. It was a ceremonial day and everything went smoothly. I will address the one controversial vote…I and 49 of my fellow Democrats voted for Jase Bolger for Speaker. Not because I approve of what he did last session (either the last minute votes that had no public testimony, or his actions with the scandal with Rep. Schmidt), but because the Republicans were voted into the majority and he is the person that they selected. I appreciate his comments upon becoming Speaker about bi-partisanship and hope that will be actions and not just words. He has agreed to respect the rights of the minority and I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt to start.
The second big event was the first revenue estimating conference. This looks at the budget numbers and trends and projects the dollars that the state will have to spend in the 2013-2014 fiscal year. The initial budget numbers will come from this conference as the budget begins to be worked on, then will be updated after the May budget estimating conference.
I was able to be part of that meeting and asked questions, including if we are creating high-payinng jobs or low-paying jobs (there was no answer, but they said they have a report on this). Here is what we heard…
General Fund/General Purpose (GF-GP) revenues for the 2012-13 FY, which began in October, were estimated to be about $8.79 billion, a drop of 5.1 percent from last year. While School Aid Fund (SAF) revenues are expected to be around $11.12 billion (a 2.3 percent increase from last year), that number falls short of last May's forecasts by 0.4 percent. Unfortunately, we're seeing that the significant changes to Michigan's tax policy that have been enacted since Governor Snyder took office continue to have an impact on our state's tax revenue (in a negative way).
As many of you know, Michigan is starting its fourth year of economic recovery after a nearly decade-long recession. Although the national economy has (generally) been improving at a modest pace, it has recently decelerated over the uncertainty surrounding the federal budget, foreign weakness, debt negotiations, and the debt-ceiling decline-- fiscal issues that many predict will affect our state's economic growth through much of 2013.
On the bright side, our country's housing sector and light motor vehicle sales continue to gain (or maintain) momentum. Michigan's personal income is expected to modestly increase for the next three calendar years, inflation is expected to increase (again, modestly), and our unemployment rate is forecasted to decrease to 7.2 percent in calendar year 2015. Much of Michigan's recent job growth was led by gains in manufacturing, professional and businesses services, and health care and social assistance. It should come as no surprised that employment in the construction sector fell by 5,100 workers and government employment has declined by 3,800 workers over the past year. Presenters pointed out that even though we've managed to grow jobs since 2010, growth has been very subdued and employment remains significantly below our peak in January 2000.
As today's presenters noted, we still have quite a ways to go in our economic recovery as a state, but we continue (and should continue) to make slow, steady progress in the coming years. I look forward to playing an important role in the Legislature's budget-related activity and welcome you to get in touch with your reactions and thoughts surrounding today's Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference news. To view the House and Senate Fiscal agency's reports, be sure to visit the below links:
House Fiscal Agency Report
http://www.house.mi.gov/hfa/PDFs/Revenue%20Estimates%20Jan13.pdf
Senate Fiscal Agency Report
http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/BudUpdates/EconomicOutlookDec12.pdf
This week Governor Rick Snyder will deliver his State of the State, and I am looking forward to hear what he has to say. I am sure you will hear about it, but I will give my thoughts at the end of the week.
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or thoughts!
As a County Commissioner, I did a weekly blog that talked about what happened that week. I was able to do this for many years.
Now that I am in the House of Representatives, I would like to continue that tradition. I will do my best to publish something as stuff happens in the Legislature. This can be a bit complicated, though. Rep. Joan Bauer, who I have the honor to follow in this position, maintained a great list and I will continue to email that list. I have a great list from my campaign. I also have a great list of friends on facebook both on my personal and political pages. As such, I am trying to accomplish updating all of these without too much duplication. If I hit you 2 or 3 times, my apologies and I will try to consolidate all of these. But that may take a few weeks. Bear with me.
So, for the first update…
There were two big events last week. The first was the swearing in of the 110 members of the House of Representatives. It was very exciting for me, as I officially began my journey that will last for the next two years. It was a ceremonial day and everything went smoothly. I will address the one controversial vote…I and 49 of my fellow Democrats voted for Jase Bolger for Speaker. Not because I approve of what he did last session (either the last minute votes that had no public testimony, or his actions with the scandal with Rep. Schmidt), but because the Republicans were voted into the majority and he is the person that they selected. I appreciate his comments upon becoming Speaker about bi-partisanship and hope that will be actions and not just words. He has agreed to respect the rights of the minority and I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt to start.
The second big event was the first revenue estimating conference. This looks at the budget numbers and trends and projects the dollars that the state will have to spend in the 2013-2014 fiscal year. The initial budget numbers will come from this conference as the budget begins to be worked on, then will be updated after the May budget estimating conference.
I was able to be part of that meeting and asked questions, including if we are creating high-payinng jobs or low-paying jobs (there was no answer, but they said they have a report on this). Here is what we heard…
General Fund/General Purpose (GF-GP) revenues for the 2012-13 FY, which began in October, were estimated to be about $8.79 billion, a drop of 5.1 percent from last year. While School Aid Fund (SAF) revenues are expected to be around $11.12 billion (a 2.3 percent increase from last year), that number falls short of last May's forecasts by 0.4 percent. Unfortunately, we're seeing that the significant changes to Michigan's tax policy that have been enacted since Governor Snyder took office continue to have an impact on our state's tax revenue (in a negative way).
As many of you know, Michigan is starting its fourth year of economic recovery after a nearly decade-long recession. Although the national economy has (generally) been improving at a modest pace, it has recently decelerated over the uncertainty surrounding the federal budget, foreign weakness, debt negotiations, and the debt-ceiling decline-- fiscal issues that many predict will affect our state's economic growth through much of 2013.
On the bright side, our country's housing sector and light motor vehicle sales continue to gain (or maintain) momentum. Michigan's personal income is expected to modestly increase for the next three calendar years, inflation is expected to increase (again, modestly), and our unemployment rate is forecasted to decrease to 7.2 percent in calendar year 2015. Much of Michigan's recent job growth was led by gains in manufacturing, professional and businesses services, and health care and social assistance. It should come as no surprised that employment in the construction sector fell by 5,100 workers and government employment has declined by 3,800 workers over the past year. Presenters pointed out that even though we've managed to grow jobs since 2010, growth has been very subdued and employment remains significantly below our peak in January 2000.
As today's presenters noted, we still have quite a ways to go in our economic recovery as a state, but we continue (and should continue) to make slow, steady progress in the coming years. I look forward to playing an important role in the Legislature's budget-related activity and welcome you to get in touch with your reactions and thoughts surrounding today's Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference news. To view the House and Senate Fiscal agency's reports, be sure to visit the below links:
House Fiscal Agency Report
http://www.house.mi.gov/hfa/PDFs/Revenue%20Estimates%20Jan13.pdf
Senate Fiscal Agency Report
http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/BudUpdates/EconomicOutlookDec12.pdf
This week Governor Rick Snyder will deliver his State of the State, and I am looking forward to hear what he has to say. I am sure you will hear about it, but I will give my thoughts at the end of the week.
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or thoughts!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
My County Commission Farewell Speech
I promised to post my farewell speech to the Ingham County Commission, so here it is. Nothing earth-shattering, but what I was thinking in my head and feeling in my heard. When I give a speech, I make myself bullet points. So the below is a re-creation of my speech from the bullet points that I had. It wasn't exactly this, but this was the gist of it.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak, and for the wonderful plaque.
I have been a Commissioner for 10 years. That is a little more than a third of my life. In that time, so much has happened. Both my children have been born and you have watched with me as they have gotten older. I have made a lot of friends on this board and I am proud to call you, and all the other commissioners that have come and gone, friends.
I came in in 2003 in a 5-Commissioner class: Tina Weatherwax-Grant, Dianne Holman, Marc Thomas, John Nevin and myself. Dianne will be the last and will have to represent us all!
I remember Curtis Hertel, Jr and Lisa Dedden sitting with me when I first decided to run and all the wonderful advice they gave me. We have all been through the trenches of tough campaigns. That is what binds us together, regardless of party.
I have been part of a lot of big issues on this Commission:
- road patrol
- 911 center consolidation
- road commission
- Project Labor Agreements
- living wage
All these were tough and worth the time we put into them, but the one issue that I remember the most came in my term on the board. It was the animal control and shelter issue. Anytime someone has your picture on a sandwich board that says "Andy Schor will Kill Your Pet" you remember it well. I had several mailings to my neighborhood and had neighbors asking me "what the heck is this?" I was proud to author the resolution re-creating the Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board and am glad that process is going well.
I have served many years on the Tri-County Aging Board and am proud to have helped create the Quality Care Council and provide experienced care givers. I have served on the SmartZone board and am excited for all the small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been created as a result.
As I move on to my next great endeavor in the Michigan House of Representatives, I look back on my time here on this Board and with these fine Commissioners and hope that I have made the best mark that I could for my constituents and for Ingham county. I will not forget the impact of local government on people's lives. I thank you all for your service and wish you all the best of luck.
I also thank our wonderful staff who make us look so good. Mary Lannoye, our Controller, and John Neilsen, our Deputy Controller. Jared Cypher and Teri Morton. And, of course, Becky Bennett who runs our lives and manages this commission so well.
And I would be remiss to not wish Commissioner Mark Grebner thanks on behalf of all Ingham County residents for his service the last 35 years. It will be weird to see him not on this Board.
I welcome everyone here to call me any time, and I will come by from time to time to check in and update you about the craziness at the state.
Thank you for all your good wishes and support, and really for everything for the last 10 years!
Thank you for the opportunity to speak, and for the wonderful plaque.
I have been a Commissioner for 10 years. That is a little more than a third of my life. In that time, so much has happened. Both my children have been born and you have watched with me as they have gotten older. I have made a lot of friends on this board and I am proud to call you, and all the other commissioners that have come and gone, friends.
I came in in 2003 in a 5-Commissioner class: Tina Weatherwax-Grant, Dianne Holman, Marc Thomas, John Nevin and myself. Dianne will be the last and will have to represent us all!
I remember Curtis Hertel, Jr and Lisa Dedden sitting with me when I first decided to run and all the wonderful advice they gave me. We have all been through the trenches of tough campaigns. That is what binds us together, regardless of party.
I have been part of a lot of big issues on this Commission:
- road patrol
- 911 center consolidation
- road commission
- Project Labor Agreements
- living wage
All these were tough and worth the time we put into them, but the one issue that I remember the most came in my term on the board. It was the animal control and shelter issue. Anytime someone has your picture on a sandwich board that says "Andy Schor will Kill Your Pet" you remember it well. I had several mailings to my neighborhood and had neighbors asking me "what the heck is this?" I was proud to author the resolution re-creating the Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board and am glad that process is going well.
I have served many years on the Tri-County Aging Board and am proud to have helped create the Quality Care Council and provide experienced care givers. I have served on the SmartZone board and am excited for all the small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been created as a result.
As I move on to my next great endeavor in the Michigan House of Representatives, I look back on my time here on this Board and with these fine Commissioners and hope that I have made the best mark that I could for my constituents and for Ingham county. I will not forget the impact of local government on people's lives. I thank you all for your service and wish you all the best of luck.
I also thank our wonderful staff who make us look so good. Mary Lannoye, our Controller, and John Neilsen, our Deputy Controller. Jared Cypher and Teri Morton. And, of course, Becky Bennett who runs our lives and manages this commission so well.
And I would be remiss to not wish Commissioner Mark Grebner thanks on behalf of all Ingham County residents for his service the last 35 years. It will be weird to see him not on this Board.
I welcome everyone here to call me any time, and I will come by from time to time to check in and update you about the craziness at the state.
Thank you for all your good wishes and support, and really for everything for the last 10 years!
Schor Blog: Detective Position and 2013 Budget, Land Bank Properties, Goodbye to 5 Commissioners
This is it. My final blog as an Ingham County Commissioner. It is a little weird. I am excited to go to the House of Representatives and fight for important issues on a statewide basis (which has taken on a whole new meaning this week!) but I will definitely miss the issues and people on the County Board of Commissioners!
But I will get to that in a minute. First, the final issues that we dealt with at the last meeting of 2012. We started off reconsidering a resolution from last meeting dealing with a detective position at the Sheriff's office. This was a position that didn't survive the budget for 2013, and one of the Commissioner's decided to move to retain the position and take the money out of contingency for 2013. As a reminder, contingency is our reserve for emergencies. The resolution had passed at the last meeting, but there was a lot of confusion about it. So it was reconsidered on a 13-3 vote. During debate, it was brought up that neither the Sheriff nor the Prosecutor asked for this position to be restored. Taking this money from contingency would start the commission off in a nice sized hole, along with the money that will have to be found to make up the jail medical (where we are not getting the savings we expected). Budgeting is about priorities, and this just didn't make the cut. Instead, we kept a jail post open. When the resolution was reconsidered, a compromise was offered by Commissioner Rebecca Bahar-Cook to take $20,000 from the Sheriff's Drug Forfeiture funds to pay for the first few months of 2013 for this position. At that time, a retirement will allow for the detective to be moved. The position would still be removed, but the person would not be laid off. The supporters said it would be a good compromise because it would not impact the budget before the year even starts and would prevent a layoff. The opponents said that the position is necessary for the sheriff and county, and this would further cut public safety. This amendment passed 13-3 on a bi-partisan vote, then the resolution passed 14-2.
The second resolution that was pulled for discussion was the resolution moving about 300 properties to the Land Bank. Commissioner Vickers asked what properties were being transferred, and Treasurer Schertzing said there were about 186 Lansing properties adn about 100 Leslie properties. Vickers then asked how many properties the Land Bank has and the answer was that it is about 1,000 and about 37 were sold and put back on the tax rolls this year. Finally, Vickers asked how much is left in the revolving loan fund for these properties, and the answer was about $1.5 million. The resolution then passed 13-3.
While not controversial, it is important to note that we did approve two resolutions that settled contacts with our employees. We settled with the Teamsters Local 580 for the 911 Supervisors and we settled with the FOP 911 non-supervisory. We went through the details of these contracts in the County Services committee, and it is exciting to know that these contracts are starting to be worked out with employees. While a year overdue, it is good to see settlement.
After these resolutions, we said goodbye to the commissioners that were leaving. I was one of them, and I will put up my speech in a separate blog. The other commissioners leaving were: Commissioner Dale Copedge, Commissioner Steve Dougan, Commissioner Vince Dragonette, and Commissioner Mark Grebner. Grebner had been on the Board for 35 years and has been an institution of knowledge. He received just the second ever resolution of honor passed by the County Board Commissioners (the other was Grady Porter). The rest of us received very cool plaques showing our service to the County. It was very light and there were lots of laughs and stories. It was nice, and a bit sad. But there was also a lot of optimism for the future and excitement to welcome Commissioners Sarah Anthony, Kara Hope, and Randy Maiville. They will do wonderful work for the County.
So, thanks for reading this blog for the last few years. And thanks for all your support over the last 10 years. I will continue to blog and update all my constituents as a State Representative starting in January. Swearing in is January 9th (according to the Constitution) but I will be in my office doing the work of the people on January 2nd. Please feel free to call or email any time. Thanks everyone for everything, and have a wonderful holiday season!
But I will get to that in a minute. First, the final issues that we dealt with at the last meeting of 2012. We started off reconsidering a resolution from last meeting dealing with a detective position at the Sheriff's office. This was a position that didn't survive the budget for 2013, and one of the Commissioner's decided to move to retain the position and take the money out of contingency for 2013. As a reminder, contingency is our reserve for emergencies. The resolution had passed at the last meeting, but there was a lot of confusion about it. So it was reconsidered on a 13-3 vote. During debate, it was brought up that neither the Sheriff nor the Prosecutor asked for this position to be restored. Taking this money from contingency would start the commission off in a nice sized hole, along with the money that will have to be found to make up the jail medical (where we are not getting the savings we expected). Budgeting is about priorities, and this just didn't make the cut. Instead, we kept a jail post open. When the resolution was reconsidered, a compromise was offered by Commissioner Rebecca Bahar-Cook to take $20,000 from the Sheriff's Drug Forfeiture funds to pay for the first few months of 2013 for this position. At that time, a retirement will allow for the detective to be moved. The position would still be removed, but the person would not be laid off. The supporters said it would be a good compromise because it would not impact the budget before the year even starts and would prevent a layoff. The opponents said that the position is necessary for the sheriff and county, and this would further cut public safety. This amendment passed 13-3 on a bi-partisan vote, then the resolution passed 14-2.
The second resolution that was pulled for discussion was the resolution moving about 300 properties to the Land Bank. Commissioner Vickers asked what properties were being transferred, and Treasurer Schertzing said there were about 186 Lansing properties adn about 100 Leslie properties. Vickers then asked how many properties the Land Bank has and the answer was that it is about 1,000 and about 37 were sold and put back on the tax rolls this year. Finally, Vickers asked how much is left in the revolving loan fund for these properties, and the answer was about $1.5 million. The resolution then passed 13-3.
While not controversial, it is important to note that we did approve two resolutions that settled contacts with our employees. We settled with the Teamsters Local 580 for the 911 Supervisors and we settled with the FOP 911 non-supervisory. We went through the details of these contracts in the County Services committee, and it is exciting to know that these contracts are starting to be worked out with employees. While a year overdue, it is good to see settlement.
After these resolutions, we said goodbye to the commissioners that were leaving. I was one of them, and I will put up my speech in a separate blog. The other commissioners leaving were: Commissioner Dale Copedge, Commissioner Steve Dougan, Commissioner Vince Dragonette, and Commissioner Mark Grebner. Grebner had been on the Board for 35 years and has been an institution of knowledge. He received just the second ever resolution of honor passed by the County Board Commissioners (the other was Grady Porter). The rest of us received very cool plaques showing our service to the County. It was very light and there were lots of laughs and stories. It was nice, and a bit sad. But there was also a lot of optimism for the future and excitement to welcome Commissioners Sarah Anthony, Kara Hope, and Randy Maiville. They will do wonderful work for the County.
So, thanks for reading this blog for the last few years. And thanks for all your support over the last 10 years. I will continue to blog and update all my constituents as a State Representative starting in January. Swearing in is January 9th (according to the Constitution) but I will be in my office doing the work of the people on January 2nd. Please feel free to call or email any time. Thanks everyone for everything, and have a wonderful holiday season!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Back to Blogging
I’m back. I know it has been a few weeks since blogging. Sorry about that. It was a combination of a few things:
(1) Getting elected to the House and all the craziness that has accompanied that. Tuesday the 7th was election day, Wednesday was yard sign take down, Thursday and Friday were new legislator orientation. Also that Thursday I participated in my first House Democrat caucus, where we elected our leadership for the next two years. I was proud to support Rep. Tim Greimel for leader and Rep. Rudy Hobbs for Floor Leader. Since then, it has been a whirlwind. I was part of a press release calling on moving on the Health Exchange and have been working on a variety of other things. I am looking forward to serving my constituents for the next two years in the House of Representatives, being a leader in the Democratic Caucus, and working with both parties to create good public policy for Michigan.
(2) Holidays. Everyone has been telling me that my family should get away, and we did. We went to California for a week and spent Thanksgiving with family. It was fun and nice to get away for a few days.
(3) Wrapping up pre-existing county issues. While the county commission and committees met, the big issues that we considered were issues that I previously wrote about. We finalized and passed the budget, and we finalized and passed the PACE program. I previously wrote about both of these and you can go to past editions to see them. Additionally, I had to miss a few committees because I was sick (the campaign finally caught up to me!) and because of my family vacation.
(4) Continuing my work at the Michigan Municipal League through the end of the year. I have been assisting the transition of my issues and have been helping out where I can. The League is an absolutely fantastic organization and is one of the leaders in forward thinking in Michigan. Placemaking and retention of talent in our urban communities will strengthen Michigan's economy for the future, and I am excited that I was able to play a part in this effort at the League.
All this being said, I will continue to publish this blog through the end of the year and report on the important county commission issues. We only have two more full county commission meetings, and two one more round of committees until the end. And next year I am planning to continue this blog and do a legislative email as a member of the House of Representatives. So I will continue my communication and transparency. Thanks so much for reading!
I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. December will go quick, and I am excited for January. Swearing in for the Legislature will be on Wednesday, January 8th but our office will be open on January 2nd. You will be able to reach my office on January 2nd at andyschor@house.mi.gov or at (517) 373-0826, and you can always stop by the House Office Building in downtown Lansing and come to my office on the 10th floor. Until then, you can continue to get me at andy.schor@gmail.com.
Thanks again, and I hope to chat with everyone soon!
(1) Getting elected to the House and all the craziness that has accompanied that. Tuesday the 7th was election day, Wednesday was yard sign take down, Thursday and Friday were new legislator orientation. Also that Thursday I participated in my first House Democrat caucus, where we elected our leadership for the next two years. I was proud to support Rep. Tim Greimel for leader and Rep. Rudy Hobbs for Floor Leader. Since then, it has been a whirlwind. I was part of a press release calling on moving on the Health Exchange and have been working on a variety of other things. I am looking forward to serving my constituents for the next two years in the House of Representatives, being a leader in the Democratic Caucus, and working with both parties to create good public policy for Michigan.
(2) Holidays. Everyone has been telling me that my family should get away, and we did. We went to California for a week and spent Thanksgiving with family. It was fun and nice to get away for a few days.
(3) Wrapping up pre-existing county issues. While the county commission and committees met, the big issues that we considered were issues that I previously wrote about. We finalized and passed the budget, and we finalized and passed the PACE program. I previously wrote about both of these and you can go to past editions to see them. Additionally, I had to miss a few committees because I was sick (the campaign finally caught up to me!) and because of my family vacation.
(4) Continuing my work at the Michigan Municipal League through the end of the year. I have been assisting the transition of my issues and have been helping out where I can. The League is an absolutely fantastic organization and is one of the leaders in forward thinking in Michigan. Placemaking and retention of talent in our urban communities will strengthen Michigan's economy for the future, and I am excited that I was able to play a part in this effort at the League.
All this being said, I will continue to publish this blog through the end of the year and report on the important county commission issues. We only have two more full county commission meetings, and two one more round of committees until the end. And next year I am planning to continue this blog and do a legislative email as a member of the House of Representatives. So I will continue my communication and transparency. Thanks so much for reading!
I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. December will go quick, and I am excited for January. Swearing in for the Legislature will be on Wednesday, January 8th but our office will be open on January 2nd. You will be able to reach my office on January 2nd at andyschor@house.mi.gov or at (517) 373-0826, and you can always stop by the House Office Building in downtown Lansing and come to my office on the 10th floor. Until then, you can continue to get me at andy.schor@gmail.com.
Thanks again, and I hope to chat with everyone soon!
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