Senator Majority Floor Leader Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) officially announced his bid for the 8th District U.S. House seat on Monday. Rogers, who has been campaigning for the position actively over the last year, made it official at Cooley Gardens in downtown Lansing. Rogers joins Senator Dianne Byrum (D-Lansing) in the race for the seat being vacated by U.S. Representative Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing). Stabenow is challenging U.S. Senator Spence Abraham (R-Auburn Hills), who is seeking his first re-election bid.
Wayne County Circuit Judge Ed Thomas has announced his candidacy for one of three Democratic nominations for the state Supreme Court. Thomas has been a trial court judge for 21 years and is the uncle of current state Representative Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit). Thomas joins Marietta Robinson, an attorney from Detroit, and Macomb County prosecutor Carl Marlinga as Democrats to announce campaigns for the court. Republican Justices Robert Young, Stephen Markman and Clifford Taylor all will face these re-election opponents in November.
Although he admits itÕs still very early and he will not make a commitment for some time, Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow (R-Port Huron) has stated he is considering a bid for Governor. DeGrow is term-limited and will be forced out of office in 2002. Other potential candidates for the stateÕs top post include Lieutenant Governor Dick Posthumus, Secretary of State Candice Miller and Sens. Bill Schuette (R-Midland) and Joe Schwarz (R-Battle Creek).. On the Democratic side, Sen. Alma Smith has expressed interest, and many Democratic supporters are encouraging Attorney General Jennifer Granholm to run.
A top GOP candidate for the 10th Congressional District is considering jumping back in the race. Jack Brandenburg, a Macomb County business executive, is rethinking a bid to take on U.S. Rep. David Bonior (D-Mt. Clemens). Brandenburg had stated that his family and business obligations could suffer if he ran for the post.
Sen. Mat Dunaskiss (R-Lake Orion), sponsor of legislation to deregulate the electric industry, has called for a two-week hiatus before the Senate Technology and Energy Committee again considers taking up the bill. Dunaskiss, who chairs the committee, felt that some organizations were opposing the legislation before they had even reviewed the proposal.
Intense negotiations between the stateÕs two major utilities and the Citizens for Power and Reliability coalition fell apart late last week, prompting the chairman to call for a "cooling-off period." Negotiations, which have been going on since the beginning of the year, centered primarily on stranded cost calculations. Resolution of this complex issue is questionable given the limited time remaining before the summer/election recess.
The Michigan Senate has moved a bill out of committee that will convert Michigan from a "Wage Request" to a "Wage Record" state on October 1, 2000. SB 1164 sponsored by Sen. Mat Dunaskiss amends legislation originally signed by Governor Engler in 1994.
Under the new system, forms containing weekly base period wages (Form 1555) will become obsolete. Instead the Unemployment Agency will use a quarterly wage data system. This will alleviate unnecessary paperwork for employers and simplify the benefits system.
The legislation originally required Michigan to convert to a "Wage Record" state by January 1, 1997. However, the implementation date was postponed to December 31, 2001, after Unemployment Agency administrators found they were unable to comply with the original timetable. This legislation will allow the state to beat the revised deadline by more than a year.
Educational seminars will be held in the summer to familiarize employers with the new system. MRA will keep members updated as seminar dates are announced.
SB 1182, sponsored by Sen. David Jaye (R-Washington Twp.), to exempt residential and business property sold to a family member from increase of taxable value for property tax assessments.
SB 1183, sponsored by Sen. Philip Hoffman (R-Horton), to add personal watercraft to automobile floor plan interest single business tax exemption.
SB 1185, sponsored by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.), to deduct federal tax from gross proceeds for determining sales tax on gasoline.
SB 1186, sponsored by Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek), to enact sentencing guidelines for operating or maintaining laboratory to illegally manufacture a controlled substance.
SB 1191, sponsored by Sen. Leon Stille (R-Spring Lake), to exempt church transfers from real estate transfer tax.
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