Michigan Political Action Conference

Saturday, March 22, 2011

Capital City Baptist Church

5100 Willoughby Road, Holt, MI 48842

Schedule of Events

Registration & Continental Breakfast 7:30-8:15 AM

Welcome, with Congressman Amash 8:45-9:15 AM

First Sessions 9:20-10:30 AM
1. Tea Party Organizations – Successes to learn from
2. Effective Media Communications – Press, Radio, Web, TV
3. Education – Better Quality and Quantity, Lower Cost

Second Sessions 10:40-11:50 AM
4. Transparency in Government
5. Right-to-Work – How Can it work in Michigan?
6. Judicial Accountability – How to determine whom to support

Reagan Centennial Lunch & Keynote Noon-1:30 PM

Third Sessions 1:40-2:50 PM
7. Legislative Initiatives – Supporting a Conservative Agenda
8. Project Kirk – The Permanent Things; What is Conservative?
9. Local Governments and Elections – Grass Roots Effectiveness

Fourth Sessions 3:00-4:10 PM
10. Legislative Accountability – Keeping Promises; Citizen Lobby
11. Budget and Expenditures – Cut the FAT!!!
12. Economics and the Constitution – Apply Core Principles today!

Click here for registration information.

Unions Rising in Michigan Over EFM Bill

Unions are starting to make waves in Michigan over the Emergency Financial Manager Bill, which is now moving through the Senate. Details on the bill are here. Watch the Fox2 report with Tim Skubik here. Read the Reuters story here.

Union bosses are afraid of losing power if emergency financial managers are empowered to cancel local union contracts. We will be discussing this bill in the Center Right meeting tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. at the Ingham Building, 116 W. Ottawa St. Lansing.

Budget Battles for the Governor?

Apparently not overly enamored with Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed Corporate Income Tax (CIT) to replace the much disliked Michigan Business Tax (MBT), Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) said Senate Republicans are reviewing the Governor’s proposed 6 percent CIT but his caucus is working on its own business tax proposal. In addition, Senate Republicans have set aside a four-hour block of time next Tuesday to take a deeper look at the administration’s budget outline with a focus on the proposed cuts to the K-12 budget.

Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw) has set preliminary budget target numbers with his chairs – some of the numbers coming higher and some lower that the Governor’s proposed budget numbers.

Over in the House, Appropriations Committee Chair Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) says his committee is taking a look at the administration’s entire budget document rather than picking apart likes and dislikes.On another of Gov. Snyder’s budget proposals, at least eight Senate Republicans are reportedly “no” votes on eliminating the income tax exemptions on public and private pensions.

DLEG Deleted. Snyder Administration Consolidates the Regulators

Alphabet Soup

Governor Rick Snyder signed two executive orders last week causing a major reorganization of state functions. Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG) is no more. In its place is the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) that will focus on licensing and business regulation.

Under the change, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will inherit job development and training programs, energy promotion programs, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the Michigan Next Energy Authority (MNEA).

The new Department of LARA will be taking control of the Bureau of Health Professions (BHP), the Bureau of Health Systems (BHS), and the Controlled Substances Advisory Commission (CSAC), from the Department of Community Health (DCH).

The orders also place job development programs into a new Workforce Development Agency (WDA), within the MEDC, create a sate centralized Michigan Administrative Hearing System (MAHS), and abolish the position of Automobile and Home Insurance Consumer Advocate (AHICA), as well as the Chief Energy Officer (CEO) position.

Other changes transfer the Disability Concerns Commission (DCC), Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH), Pacific American Affairs Commission (PAAC), and Hispanic/Latino Commission (HLC) to the Department of Civil Rights (DCR); the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategies (BLMIS) to the Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB); and the State Land Bank (SLB), to the MEDC.

Bottom line: when the dust settles, there should be fewer regulatory agencies and fewer regulators. That would send a good message to job creators.