Berden Elected New
GOP Committeewoman
Kathy Berden was elected
this past weekend as the Michigan Republican's new national committeewoman, Ms.
Berden said she is looking forward to meeting with activists and helping ensure
there is a "positive face" to Michigan Republicans. She defeated Mary Whiteford on the
second ballot of the Michigan Republican State Committee to elect a successor
to Ronna Romney McDaniel who is now the State party Chair.
House
Speaker Names Representative Cox to National Committee
House Speaker Kevin
Cotter has appointed Representative Laura Cox to the Budgets and Revenue
Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures for the 2015-2016
term. The Budgets and Revenue Committee is one of nine standing committees of
the conference, and is responsible for protecting state interests in regard to
federal decisions involving fiscal matters.
Compensation
Commission Recommends Increase Pay for
Judges
The State Officers
Compensation Commission approved Wednesday a 3 percent pay increase for Judges
in 2017 and 2018. This is the third
straight report by the Commission where a pay increase was recommended. The Legislature has rejected the other two
based on budget concerns. It is unclear
what the Legislature will do with the recommendation this year.
The Senate Majority
Leader this week named other Democrats to succeed Senator Virgil Smith as he
was officially stripped of his committee posts. Senator Bert Johnson (D-Highland Park) was named to the
Senate Agriculture Committee; Senator Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) was tapped for Banking
and Financial Services Committee. Senator Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) will now serve as
minority vice chair and Senator Steve Bieda (D-Warren) will serve on the Energy
and Technology Committee.
The State of Michigan
and Enbridge Energy reached a settlement agreement this week with the energy
company paying $75 million in addition to completing cleanup of the July 2010
oil spill on the Kalamazoo River. The settlement
requires that Enbridge complete cleanup within five years of the spill, which
released some 800,000 gallons of oil into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo
River.