Legislators Tour Bridge Sites

Nearly fifty legislators, media, and government officials toured both the Ambassador Bridge and proposed NITC sites on Monday. The bus tour was arranged by and paid for by Senate Economic Committee Chairman Mike Kowall (R-White Lake), and represented an official meeting of the committee. Staff from the Ambassador Bridge, as well as legislators and officials in support of the NITC, had a chance to address the group collectively.

The NITC proposal is contained in Senate Bills 410 and 411, and would establish a Bridge Authority to collaborate with Canadian officials in its construction and administration. Participating in the tour was Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) representing the Delray community, a neighborhood potentially impacted by the proposal. Tlaib seeks to ensure just compensation for displaced residents and protection of her community’s way of life.

The tour passed by signs of protest in front of a trucking company recently purchased by Ambassador bridge-owner Matty Maroun. While some lawmakers expressed lingering concerns to eliminate fears over potential impact to Michigan taxpayers, the fact-finding aspect of the tour proved successful. Sen. Kowall said he learned of the protracted planning on the Canadian side including extensive land purchases for the landing site.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, August 19, 2011 11:45 AM
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Legislature To Consider Eliminating 49 Judgeships

The Legislature is being asked to consider a proposal by the Judicial Resource Recommendations report calling for the elimination of 49 judges. Forty-five trial judgeships would be eliminated and four judges from the Court of Appeals.

The reductions, if approved by the Legislature, would occur through attrition. Chief Justice Robert Young, Jr., speaking at a press conference this week said the state could not end judgeships mid-term during a judge’s tenure. It would take up to eight years for the full recommendations to take effect.

The proposal has the support of the Michigan Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and four judicial groups – The Michigan Judges Association, Michigan District Court Judges Association, Michigan Probate Judges Association, and the Michigan Judicial Conference. Justice Young stated that Governor Snyder also supports the recommendations.

Eliminating the trial judgeships would save the state about $157,000 in salary and benefits for each judge. Eliminating four Appeals judges would save another $700,000 in salary and benefits. All totaled, eliminating forty-nine judgeships will save the state about $8 million in just salary and benefits.

Only 26 of the states 83 counties would not see a drop in the number of judgeships, most of those concentrated in the center and west of the state, though Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston would not be recommended for reductions.

The only two northern counties not recommended for a judicial reduction are Charlevoix and Emmet.

Oakland County would lose the most judgeships, a total of six, while Wayne County is recommended to lose four judgeships.

posted by PAA Online , 11:44 AM
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Governor Petitions Supreme Court For Expedited EFM Ruling

Governor Rick Snyder asked Michigan Supreme Court to expedite a ruling on litigation challenging the Emergency Manager law signed into law earlier this year. A lawsuit filed in Ingham County Circuit Court states the statute violates the Constitution’s separation of power.

Governor Snyder in his letter to the court stated, “Passage of the Emergency Manager law was intended to confront structural financial problems facing our communities and school districts, and the act can serve as an essential tool to address the austere fiscal realities local units of government face after a decade of economic challenges. Without a bypass, this lawsuit may take years to reach finality, regardless of the substantive disposition of the case.”

A spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not say when the court might take up Governor Snyder’s request.

posted by PAA Online , 11:43 AM
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Conference Committee To Vote On 80/20 Insurance Cap

Sen. Mark Jansen (R-Gaines Township), chair of the conference committee negotiating SB 7 language, said progress is being made toward a conference committee vote when the legislature reconvenes after Labor Day.

Senate Bill 7, the 80/20 benefits bill, deals with the amount local government employees pay toward their health insurance. In addition to SB 7, issues surrounding SJR C, the extension of the dollar cap and 80/20 mandate to civil service employees and state public university employees have not been settled. The House and Senate will need a two-thirds majority to adopt SJR C.

posted by PAA Online , 11:42 AM
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PAAdvisory Briefs

Recall Language Filed on Bledsoe, Cavanaugh, Townsend

This week recall petitions were filed against three more Democratic House members and one was withdrawn, leaving the total number of Democratic legislators facing recalls at ten. Rep. Tim Bledsoe (D – Grosse Pointe), Rep. Phil Cavanaugh (D-Redford Twp) and Rep. Jim Townsend (D – Royal Oak) had petitions filed against them. All three cases cited the legislator’s votes against the repeal of the Michigan Business Tax. A recall attempt against Senator Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield) for his vote against eliminating the Michigan Business Tax was withdrawn.

Potential Action on Road Funding

The Senate may take the first step in raising the issue of infrastructure spending this fall, jumping out in front of the Governor's special message scheduled to be released in early October. A number of Senators interested in pushing the infrastructure debate forward may begin with a bill introduced by Sen. Proos that would redistribute a portion of the sales tax on gasoline which currently does not go to road funding and placing it in the transportation fund for state, county, and local roads. Virtually all roads funding interests believe that it has been far too long to address the growing problem of insufficient road funding and welcomes the debate.

Online License Plate Renewal Aimed at Saving Time

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced Monday that drivers can now renew their license plate “tabs” online. Contrary to previous policy wherein drivers were not able to renew their plates within two weeks of their birthday, the change will allow drivers to renew on their birthday via an online system. After renewing online, a temporary certificate can be printed from home and utilized until the new tabs are mailed within one to two weeks. Secretary Johnson mentioned that the change was a “major step to improving our wait times at the branch offices.”

posted by PAA Online , 11:40 AM
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