As we look forward to the New Year and a new legislative session, I find myself chanting the same word: “Reform, Reform, Reform.”

In 2007, we stared down the barrel of a gun looking at a nearly $1 billion budget deficit, and the resounding call from the Democrats was “TAXES!, TAXES!, TAXES!” 

Taxes in the form of an increase in the state income tax, taxes in the form of a two percent service tax, taxes in the form of a revenue neutral Michigan Business Tax. 

It is now two years later and conservative estimates place our impending budget deficit in the hundreds of millions, realistically, we are probably approaching another $1 billion hole.  History has proven that taxes are not the answer. 

The Democrats’ solution to the state’s 2007 deficit was a band aid fix to a problem that has once again reared its ugly head and I have news for the House Leadership and the Governor, no more blood can be squeezed from the turnip.  The taxpayers of Michigan have been bled dry. 

Michigan has seen a steady decline in jobs and homeownership and a steady increase in the number of individuals and families applying for social assistance, or leaving our state altogether. 

For the month of November, Michigan reported nearly 10 percent unemployment and we have been consistently listed in the top 10 of all states for home foreclosures

Every time I meet with a business owner, or a CEO, or a constituent, and every time I review new statistics on the state of our economy, I come back to the same conclusion: we need fundamental change in Michigan in order to put our state on the road to prosperity once again.

I am a firm believer in smaller, more efficient government.  I have supported measures to cut taxes, rein in spending and even sponsored legislation to create a part-time legislature.  I have done all of this because I truly believe that when you lower taxes, you attract businesses and you create jobs. 

As we begin the 95^th Legislative Session, Senate Republicans will continue to challenge House Leadership and this Administration to see the light.

The key to the renewed success of Michigan’s economy is reform. 

Part of that reform includes sweeping changes to the state tax policy by lowering rates across the board for all businesses.  But it’s more than just tax relief – we must also control our spending. 

Chances are, the Democratic leadership will continue to baulk at our efforts, but if we do not tighten the purse strings now, there will be a resounding call for tax increases in the next two years just to accommodate the state’s out-of-control spending. 

So I think it’s time for the people to step forward to start a new movement to transform Michigan. 

We need to ask questions like:

·         Why is Michigan one of only four states that spends more on corrections than it does on higher education? 

·         Why does it cost 50 percent more to house a prisoner in Michigan than it does in Indiana? 

·         Why are our teachers the third highest paid in the country, yet our school districts are plagued by poor performance?

·         Why are nearly half of the students graduating from Michigan’s universities taking their degrees to other states?

In the coming weeks and months, Senate Republicans will be reintroducing legislation to reform our schools and prisons, repeal the MBT surcharge, and reform state government. 

Pumping more taxpayer dollars into a broken system does not fix the problem. 

Instead of doing just enough to put off crisis for one more fiscal year, our focus must be on identifying the root causes of the problems and coming up with long-term, lasting solutions.

I am committed to spending my final two years in the Legislature working to leave state government and Michigan in a better condition than I found them and I know, together, we can bring commonsense solutions to the our great state.

One week from today, citizens across this country will stand in line at the polls to participate in the most sacred privilege afforded to the citizens of a democratic society: the opportunity to vote.

On November 4^th, not only could we see a Democrat elected President, but also a change in Congressional seats and Democratic gains in our state House.  Conceivably, this election could set into motion the gains necessary for a complete Democratic stronghold on our federal and state governments.  That is why it is imperative that Republicans band together to support our candidates.

In one week, we could see our country shift from one of civil liberty and personal freedoms, to one of wealth redistribution and socialism.  

So I am asking for your help.  It is time to assert our values as Republicans.  Your vote could be the difference between the pro-family, pro-jobs, fiscally conservative, commonsense, country first Republican leadership we need and ushering in the pro-choice, tax and spend, socialist, liberal agenda of the Democrats.

For every Democrat who gains a seat in the state House, in Congress, or in the White House, I can guarantee you that your taxes will increase, your personal freedoms will diminish, and the growth and prosperity of our state and country will be even further stunted.

Your one vote is critical to the success of our candidates.  To put it in perspective, the Republican Party retained its majority position in the Michigan Senate by just over 1200 votes.  Elections are not determined by pollsters and media outlets, but by citizens willing to engage in the electoral process.

This is a call to action.  We have seven days left to reach our goal, I encourage each and every citizen to stand up in support of our candidates and deliver a Republican Party victory on November 4^th.

For more information about your specific ballot and voting location, please visit the Secretary of State’s website at: www.michigan.gov/vote.

Today, the Senate passed legislation to phase out the burdensome 21.99 percent Michigan Business Tax surcharge.  This represents a victory for Michigan businesses that have suffered under the strain of this onerous levy since its passage last year.

While the MBT was intended as a revenue-neutral replacement to the Single Business Tax, it is clear that Michigan businesses have struggled under a tax burden that is far too high.  Senate Republicans believe that revenue neutral is not good enough.

Our priority in Michigan must be to create an attractive business environment in which companies want to expand and locate.  Retention and support of our current businesses, as well as the attraction of new enterprise, is crucial to our state’s economic success and sustainability.  As responsible legislators, it is our duty to support our state’s economy, not to tax it to death.

The process for revisiting the MBT was spearheaded by the Senate Republicans with the formation of the MBT Impact Assessment Subcommittee.  The subcommittee spent the better part of a month gathering testimony from business owners throughout the state about how the MBT affected their companies.  From that testimony, it was clear that the surcharge discouraged business owners from expanding their operations, leading to fewer jobs and less growth.   

As our nation struggles to resolve the financial crisis on Wall Street, it is imperative that we at the state level do all within our power to boost business in Michigan.  The repeal of the surcharge will certainly reduce revenue to state government, but the cost of maintaining this fee is too great a burden for our small and medium-sized businesses to shoulder.

Last week, the Senate voted on Senate Joint Resolution E (SJR E) which would have amended the Constitution to limit the Governor’s annual budget recommendations to a percentage of current revenue estimates.

When introduced, SJR included bipartisan support, with 8 Democrats and 18 Republicans signed on as co-sponsors.  Unfortunately, in an all-too-familiar move, when it came time to vote, Democrats withdrew their support and the measure fell short of the required two-thirds majority vote by a count of 20 to 17.

Under the Resolution, the Governor’s appropriation recommendations would be limited to 96 percent of the revenue established by the January consensus revenue estimate, which occurs one moth prior to the Governor making his/her budget recommendation to the Legislature. 

Revenues in excess of the 96 percent limit would be deposited in a Budget Stabilization Fund and would require a two-thirds majority vote of the Legislature before funds could be withdrawn.  The changes were to be effective beginning in Fiscal Year 2012.

When it came down to the wire, instead of supporting responsible state government policy by reining in spending and asserting that we can no longer live beyond our means, Senate Democrats instead set aside integrity and statesmanship in order to preserve the tax and spend trend in our state.

While families across Michigan are losing their jobs and their homes, Democrats felt it was more important to keep their options for reaching into the wallets and bank accounts of our citizens open in order to fund increases in spending through higher taxes.

I have said it before and I will reiterate that Michigan cannot tax its way into prosperity. 

Senate Republicans know that our constituents are suffering.  We know that families are learning to live on less and less. 

We presented a formula for responsible spending and our colleagues on the other side of the aisle signed on when SJR E was introduced, but responded with a resounding “NO” when it really mattered.

As the United States moves towards establishing an energy future less dependent upon foreign resources with increased investment in alternative fuels, so too can Michigan promote energy independence and investment in our state infrastructure with the passage of House Bill 5524 and Senate Bill 213.

We are at a critical point in our state’s history and it is the duty of government to understand and address those issues which have the potential to significantly impact the public.  Energy is such an issue. 

The time has come for us to set the course for Michigan in the 21^st century.  Instead of being held hostage by our dependence upon outside energy resources, we can craft public policy that increases investment in our state’s energy infrastructure and decreases Michigan reliance upon out-of-state energy.  Today’s investment in our energy infrastructure will ensure the viability of the industry’s future in Michigan.

The passage of House Bill 5524 and Senate Bill 213 represents a deliberative and thoughtful action on the part of the Senate.

With unemployment reaching a new high of 8.9 percent, increased regulatory burdens and a loss of one-third of the state’s manufacturing jobs, Michigan needs stability and long-term growth.

Energy costs for home heating soared last year and gas prices continue to rise.  The reality is market forces have already sent energy costs skyrocketing which will result in significant rate hikes for the average homeowner this year and into the future.

As more and more Michigan families face dire personal and financial circumstances, it is imperative that government take action to mitigate the impact on job providers and residents.  Without a substantial change in the energy marketplace, our families and communities will continue to suffer and I am unwilling to accept this outcome.

When people are hurting, and struggling to afford gas, food and other necessities, common sense requires that we draw upon our own industriousness.  Michigan has the resources, and with the passage of this energy package, we create the vehicle necessary for energy providers to power us into the future. 

The energy package gives Michigan job providers the ability to plan for their future business and energy needs and helps protect Michigan’s long-term economic interests.  The bill creates a RPS of 10 percent and makes Michigan’s the most aggressive business opt-out program in the country by encouraging companies to meet the renewable standard through net metering, energy optimization and advanced clean technologies.

This aggressive energy policy gives state businesses the flexibility to meet a targeted and integrated renewable energy standard while minimizing potential rate increases.  In addition, the bill includes a net metering provision for individuals, which allows more Michigan residents to become self-reliant and lower their own energy costs.

Increases related to RPS are capped at $3 a month and must be clearly identified on a customer’s bill.  Moreover, the legislation provides a 25 percent tax credit for rate increases that occur as a result of the RPS for the first three years and offers a tax credit of 10 percent, or up to $100, for certain residents who purchase energy efficient products.

This legislation goes a long way to embrace a vision for Michigan to ensure we’re competitive in the 21^st century and sets forth a course by which to secure that vision. 

The Fiscal Year 2009 Department of Transportation Budget stalled today in committee when House Democrats refused to support language prohibiting MDOT from commissioning the erection of a publicly owned bridge without legislative approval.

The proposed bridge is estimated to cost the taxpayers six times the now-infamous $390 million federal “Bridge to Nowhere” project.  Instead of maintaining current year language in favor of legislative approval, those in support of the public bridge want to gut the budget language to permit MDOT to press on with the construction of a second crossing.

On the other side of this issue, plans are already underway by the owner of the Ambassador Bridge to build a second, privately owned bridge at his own expense, spanning the Detroit River. 

And yet, while our existing roads and bridges fall into disrepair, House Democrats would rather divert funds to the construction of a public bridge under the guise that the state knows more about how to operate and maintain the crossing better than those in the private sector with years of experience and a proven track record of successful operation.

Democrats have come out in the press claiming that the Senate’s lack of support is yet another strong arm tactic by Republicans that will result in a complete shutdown of MDOT’s functions and put many roadway and transportation projects in jeopardy. 

The reality of the situation is that this is yet another effort on the part of Senate Republicans to spare the taxpayers an unnecessary expense and to curb state government spending.  Our message has been clear since January of 2007: reduce spending, make government live within its means, and REFORM, REFORM, REFORM.

While the House Democrats continue to paint our caucus as the problem, Senate Republicans will continue to search for common sense solutions.

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Recently, the Senate passed House Bill 5898, providing an MBT credit for a specific business.  I supported House Bill 5898. I did so because I believe we must do everything in our power, everything and anything we need to do, to attract new businesses and create new jobs in this state.  I believe the present tax policy environment here in Michigan leaves the Legislature with very few, if any, tools to do what we need to do to attract businesses and jobs.

We would not be crafting tax policy incentives for individual businesses if our tax policy in this state was in any way attractive to job providers. All House Bill 5898 does is underscore the undeniable truth: when you lower taxes, you attract businesses, and you create jobs.

I know my colleagues agree with me because most of them supported the bill and that was the whole point—to create jobs.  So I must ask all who supported the bill: Why do we hand-pick and why do we continue to hand-pick winners and losers in this state? Why do we continue to craft individual incentive packages for specific businesses? In doing so, why do we ignore the businesses who have already invested in this state and continue to build jobs and employ individuals?

Wouldn’t it make since that instead of supporting this proposal and others like it; instead of passing public policy designed to impact one business, wouldn’t it be exponentially more productive if we make sweeping changes to Michigan’s tax policy by lowering rates across the board for all businesses, thereby creating an environment that naturally attracts new businesses and at the same time provides long-needed relief to existing job providers who continue to invest in our state and produce real jobs.

We have lost hundreds of thousands of jobs in the recent years in this state. Our present efforts to incentivize certain sectors and certain businesses have not produced. In fact, we continue to lose more jobs than we make. To me, it is painfully obvious that this piecemeal approach to public policy has failed and failed miserably.

If we hope to turn this ship around, and if we hope to revive this economy, Republicans and Democrats are going to have to come together and figure this out, and we need to make it happen together. We can not continue to do the same thing over and over and over again and expect a different outcome.

I challenge every legislator to continue down a path of creating jobs in this state through incentives for business, but instead of picking winners and losers, in the future that we apply it across the board to all businesses.  I am calling on all legislators in this state to stand with me and make it happen. 

As the Republican National Convention prepares to reach its pinnacle tonight with Senator John McCain formally accepting our party’s nomination for President of the United States, I am proud to support a candidate who puts a lifetime of heroic service and a record of straight talk to work for our country. 

John McCain brings with him an optimistic vision for the future in which a strong and free America continues to lead the world.  And this is especially poignant in Michigan where unemployment and home foreclosures are among the highest in the nation.  John McCain knows how important it is to keep well-meaning, deserving home owners who are facing foreclosure in their homes.  He knows that we need to keep taxes simple and fair, in order to stimulate growth and competition and bring more jobs to Americans and to our great state of Michigan.

We are at a critical point in our nation’s history and McCain’s message couldn’t be clearer…no surrender on defending freedom, no surrender on keeping America safe and no surrender on the values that made the United States the greatest nation on earth!

I encourage each and every person to seize this opportunity for change and progress by choosing to support John McCain.  The bottom line is that John McCain is good news for Michigan.  With John McCain at the head of the ticket, Michigan is in play.  We will be THE battleground state.  And we will deliver Michigan, victoriously, to John McCain. 

In a unanimous decision this week, the Court of Appeals rejected the Reform Michigan Government Now (RMGN) ballot proposal.

This came about after a group of officials, myself included, filed suit against the Michigan Secretary of State and the State Board of Canvassers to stop the placement of RMGN on the November ballot.

RMGN is a thinly veiled attempt by the Democrats to make sweeping changes to our Constitution without going through proper procedure and without providing adequate information to the electorate about the impact these changes would have on our state.

The proposal consists of 21,000 words and would effect 36 changes to the Constitution, making it impossible to meet ballot requirements to completely and adequately describe those changes in 100 words.  In fact, it is so complex that nearly a dozen changes contained within the complete document would not even have appeared on the ballot.

At a time when our state is in need of true leadership, a select few took it upon themselves to exploit the citizenry with the hope of securing a one-party advantage and sold RMGN as a means of making state government more efficient and more accountable. 

During my tenure in the legislature, I have always been an advocate for smaller, more efficient government and compensation commensurate to time worked.  Since being elected to the legislature, I have been the primary sponsor of four different resolutions to either create a part time legislature, or to cut pay for state lawmakers, state officers and justices of the Supreme Court.

Reforming state government is essential to ensure the economic health and vitality of our state.  In 2010, the people of Michigan will be asked to vote on convening a Constitutional Convention that would revise and update the current Constitution. 

The time has come for the people of our state to seize that opportunity and take the power back into their own hands by building a new Michigan.  That is how we pursue common sense policies that make Michigan more competitive.  That is how we make government smaller, more effective and more accountable.  RMGN is not the answer.

SENATE REPUBLICAN

2008 ACHIEVEMENTS

Senate Republicans were successful in passing several initiatives since January of this year. The following list is a highlight of the major achievements:

Creating Jobs and Jumpstarting Our Economy:

ü Secure millions in federal dollars to fund airport improvement projects.

PASSED & SIGNED (PA 165 of 2008)

ü Increase small business tax relief by allowing more firms to qualify for the small business credit and the Michigan Entrepreneurial credit. 

PASSED Senate Bills 1198; awaiting House action.

ü Clarify that certain payments to subcontractors and purchases of materials are not subject to the Michigan Business Tax. 

PASSED & SIGNED (PA 177 of 2008)

ü Provide a refundable state income tax credit to homeowners equal to the amount of their “pop-up tax.”

PASSED Senate Bills 790, 791 and 1065; awaiting House action.

ü Pass Renewable Fuels legislation to increase the use and production of biofuels in Michigan that includes biodiesel standards and tax relief for purchasing new biomass harvesting machinery.

PASSED Senate Bills 1119-1123, 1126-1130 and 1132; awaiting House action.

ü Prohibit the state from establishing costly, mandatory ergonomic standards that go beyond any other state or federal requirement.

PASSED Senate Bill 843; awaiting House action.

ü Extend Renewable Energy Renaissance Zones to include biodiesel and ethanol plants.   

PASSED & SIGNED (PAs 116 and 117 of 2008)

ü Allow more communities to use SmartZones for economic growth.

PASSED & SIGNED (PAs 104 and 105 of 2008)

ü Provide a refundable tax credit to companies that attract other businesses to Michigan.

PASSED & SIGNED (PAs 88 and 92 of 2008)

Protecting Our Families and Communities:

ü Enhance child safety by expanding the state’s booster seat requirements.

PASSED & SIGNED  (PA 43 of 2008)

ü Allow an income tax credit for individuals donating to food banks or homeless shelters.

PASSED & SIGNED (PA 207 of 2008)

ü Protect mourning families from funeral protesters.

PASSED & SIGNED (PA 166 of 2008)

ü Revise Michigan’s organ donation laws.

PASSED & SIGNED (PAs 36-41 of 2008)

ü Ease various paperwork requirements for new pistol purchases.

PASSED & SIGNED  (PAs 194, 195 and 196 of 2008)

ü Reform abortion parental consent waivers to end “judge shopping.”

PASSED Senate Bill 1059; awaiting House action.

ü Ban partial birth abortions.

PASSED Senate Bill 776.

Finally PASSED by the House.

VETOED by the Governor.