Tag: State House

Tom McMillin is one of them

The Michigan House today approved the Department of Education budget with an amendment which does not allow them to implement Common Core State Standards or "Smarter Balanced Assessments". Sponsored by State Rep. Tom McMillin, the amendment is similar to House Bill 4276 which is currently before the House Education Committee.

The amendment addresses the Common Core State Standards that were never approved by a Michigan Legislature. Concerns had been raised about the State Board of Education exceeding its authority as it attempts to implement standards in Michigan schools, created by a private, national organization, the National Governor's Association. The National Governor's Association controls the content of the Common Core State Standards, and the privately-owned "Smarter Balanced Assessments" align with those standards.

Think copyrighted 'Fire-Codes'.

This is a guide to the key races in Michigan's August primary.

There is no shortage of material to do so with, and the concerns we address are open and frank.  We agreed that the Michigan Business Tax was a job killer, and it was handled with the legislature and governor eliminating it with a restructuring.  The restructuring, perhaps not utilizing sufficient cost savings that would have prevented a tax increase on seniors however has made for some interesting conversation.

Sometimes high strung, but still interesting.

At the very least, if anyone here was communicating (at least if it were me) directly with the governor on policy, and providing a communications forum for a little back and forth, we would at least be paying attention.  Agree with him or not, when you have the governor's ear, you talk to it.

There are a few people running who are strong candidates to continue that tradition.

District 41. (Troy, Clawson) I have heard good things about Deb Debacker, a longtime member of the state committee.  She is one of three Republicans seeking this seat, replacing the term-limited Marty Knollenberg.

District 93. (Clinton, Gratiot) Staunch conservative Tom Leonard is one of four Republicans vying to replace term-limited rep. Paul Opsommer.

District 104. (Grand Traverse) Tea Party leader and Grand Traverse county commissioner Jason Gillman is running in the primary against Republican rep. Wayne Schmidt.  Jason needs no introduction on RightMichigan.com, of course.

All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives will be up for election in November.  Republicans currently hold a 63-47 majority, following a 67-43 democrat majority before 2010.  There are "only" 22 open seats following many members being term-limited, defeated, or seeking other office in 2010.

And yes I did the 'project' thing.

There are a number of reasons I am doing it. Apparently however, leadership is trying to hit on a couple of local conservatives and pressure me out of the contest. Yes, there are different ways to do things, and one of those is to cut off support to someone who might be seen as sympathetic to this type of primary campaign.  they would punish those in races where state help might be needed in the general. Hold money back and use it like a knife held to the throat of a friend.  Throw a tantrum and threaten losses in multiple races based on a misplaced sense of loyalty to a guy who "does everything we want."

And then pretend its somehow my fault.  Sad. But it's on them.

You guys can do as you please.  I have been a team player. But I know which team I am on. I have been involved in the local, state, and national Republican scene, and helped to ensure that in 2010 we took the majorities in the places that mattered.  Our team was composed of a great number of grassroots concerned citizens.  I was a member and only one of those great many patriots that returned Michigan to a level of sanity that was impossible under the prior administration.  Each of us worked in the manner we each saw fit, and some of us quite effective.

But none of it was done to see additional picking of winners, or to see the continued stealing from Michigan HOME HEALTH CARE AIDES, or continuing oppression on business owners or small farmers, or the negligence in the failure to pass Right To Work in Michigan.  And at least one more independent voice of reason is needed.

And I need neither permission, nor a place in line to provide a very different vision of how the job should be done, or whom should represent our district.  We can work together after I win the seat, but it will be a whole lot easier if leadership doesn't shoot itself in the foot by throwing accusations (you know who you are) to friends whom I have purposefully left out of the discussions prior to making the decision to run.

An apology is in order to those whom have been accused of recruiting me by those who fail to understand what I represent.

I proposed my own state house map in four parts here:

Michigan Redistricting: State House Part I: Wayne County
Michigan Redistricting: State House Part II: Oakland and Genesee
Michigan Redistricting: State House Part III: Macomb and the Thumb
Michigan Redistricting: State House Part IV: The Rest of the State

The Republican state house map was quite a bit different.  Part of this was due to the desire to protect existing districts.  This led to districts being distributed differently in the Thumb, south-central Michigan, and the northeastern Lower Peninsula.

Even on these terms, though, some parts of the map still perplex me.  I decided to take another crack at the state house map.  This time, I started with the Republican map and made changes in particular areas.  Since my first map, Dave's Redistricting App has added some election data for Michigan, allowing for more precise analysis.

I. Wayne County

Wayne Co., Detroit lose clout under GOP plans
Redrawn plan to have ripple effect