Blue Reform Passes Full House

Thursday, the full House of Representatives passed the Blue Cross Blue Shield reform legislation, Senate Bills 61 and 62, without the controversial abortion language that resulted in Governor Snyder’s veto of the measures last session.

The legislation essentially mirrors the package from last year and proposes to change the Blues into a nonprofit mutual company and treat it largely like any other insurer in the market. The company would lose its tax exempt status, PA 350 would be repealed, and Blue Cross would no longer have involvement from the Attorney General in rate increase requests. Further, the proposal calls for the Blues to pay $1.5 billion over 18 years into an independent nonprofit working towards the overall improvement of the state’s health.

The 92-18 approval of the measure sends the bills back to the Senate for concurrence in the House changes.

House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) explained that an agreement on language regarding the abortion rider had not been reached; therefore the package moved without the language. Stand-alone bills have been introduced to require the purchase of the optional rider.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, March 1, 2013 10:33 AM
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Snyder Choses Viviano for Supreme Court

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced this week that Macomb Chief Circuit Judge David Viviano would be appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court to replace former Justice Diane Hathaway. Mr. Viviano’s appointment will give the GOP a 5-2 edge on the State’s highest court.

The appointment will take effect today (Friday) and Mr. Viviano will be on the bench when the Court returns to session for arguments March 5^th.

Mr. Viviano is a graduate of Hillsdale College and the University of Michigan Law School. He previously practiced with Dickinson Wright, served as City Attorney for the City of Center Line, and comes from a family with two other judges, Mr. Viviano’s sister, Kathy, is also a Macomb Circuit Judge, as was his father Antonio.

Viviano, 41, will have to run to complete Ms. Hathaway’s term through 2016. Praise for Governor Snyder’s appointment came quickly and from many directions, from Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, to current Chief Justice Robert Young, to Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.

posted by PAA Online , 10:32 AM
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Federal - State Health Insurance Exchange Funding Approved by House

The GOP-controlled Michigan House of Representatives brought forward enough “yes” votes Thursday, when coupled with 49 of the same from their Democratic colleagues, to pass the legislation allocating the federal funding for the federal-state health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act.

House Bill 4111, sponsored by House Appropriations Chairman Joe Haveman (R-Holland), ultimately passed 78-31. Thirty Republicans and one Democrat voted against the measure, which accepts $30.67 million in federal grant money, to complete the necessary work to build a platform for Michigan residents to access insurance information.

House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) released a statement explaining that his caucus had done everything they could to avoid the necessary step of passing this legislation; however, following President Obama’s re-election and the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act, the Michigan Legislature needed to act.

posted by PAA Online , 10:31 AM
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Sources Say Financial Emergency to be Declared in Detroit Friday - Emergency Manager to Follow

Governor Rick Snyder has scheduled an announcement for Noon today at the Detroit Public Television offices – and sources claim it is to formally declare a financial emergency in the City of Detroit.

While this announcement will set the stage for the appointment of an emergency financial manager, reports indicate that the individual appointment will not be made for at least another week. Under the current statute, the City of Detroit has 10 days to appeal the declaration of a financial emergency.

Last week, Governor Snyder was presented with the findings of the financial review team that had been dispatched to the City. The review team’s report recommended the declaration of a financial emergency and the appointment of an emergency manager. The report outlined a cash deficit set to hit $100 million by June 30^th of this year, long-term liabilities of more than $14 billion, a 2011-2012 fiscal year budget deficit of more than $325 million and a government structure preventing change.

The report indicated the most striking number was what the City’s overall, cumulative deficit would be had long-term borrowing not been used to conceal annual deficits: $937 million.

posted by PAA Online , 10:30 AM
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Last Week's Survery Results

In the February 22^nd edition of PAAdvisory, readers were asked if they believe the Legislature would be done with business and depart Lansing by their unofficial and self-imposed June 1^st deadline.

44 percent of readers replied that the Legislature would beat their timeline and be gone by June 1^st, 22 percent believe they’ll hit it right on the nose and finish business exactly on June 1^st, and 33 percent believe we won’t be so lucky and session will extend past June 1^st.

posted by PAA Online , 10:27 AM
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PAAdvisory Briefs

Extension of Grand Jury Ordered for Schmidt Matter

Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, the one-person Grand Jury overseeing the criminal investigation of the election and campaign scandal involving former State Representative Roy Schmidt, extended the time allotment this week to August 22^nd. Also included in the order were the names of the special prosecutors involved in the matter: Michael Ferency, former Ingham County assistant prosecutor, and John Smietanka, twice GOP nominee for Michigan Attorney General in the 1990s and former U.S. Attorney for Michigan’s Western District.

House Panel Passes Bottle Return Reform

House Bills 4051 and 4092 passed the House Regulatory Reform Committee this week, moving now to the full House of Representatives. The legislation, introduced by Representative Kenneth Kurtz (R-Coldwater), applies the same penalties for attempting to return non-deposit cans that currently apply to those actually in returning the non-deposit cans. Attempting to do so is already illegal; however, carries no penalties. Both bills passed 11-1 with Representative Theresa Abed (D-Grand Ledge) the lone “nay.”

Polar Plunge A Hit on Capitol Lawn

Nearly two dozen policymakers, including Lt. Governor Brian Calley and members of both the House and Senate, took the Polar Plunge on the Capitol lawn Thursday to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics. For pictures and videos, simply search your favorite social media outlet as traffic is not light.

School Contract Extensions Raise GOP Eyebrows

Some public school districts and even Wayne State University have drawn the ire of some GOP legislators for recently adopting lengthy union contract extensions the Republican lawmakers see as an end-around the recently approved right-to-work law. The new statute does not take effect until March 28, 2013, meanwhile the Taylor School District approved a 10-year contract extension, and Wayne State an 8-year extension. While noncommittal, lawmakers have indicated that funding levels could be examined for those not complying with the spirit of the law.

posted by PAA Online , 10:26 AM
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Question of the Week 3-1-13

posted by PAA Online , 10:17 AM
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