From Michigan's Capitol: Women in office, State's new CEO, Legislation

Michigan Women's Forum is pleased to introduce our new state capitol correspondent Mary Pollock. Look for her column every month.

 

Michigan’s political climate was turned upside down when Republicans took over all three branches of state government in the November election. While only 45 percent of the electorate bothered to vote, Governor Rick Snyder and legislative Republicans have claimed a popular public mandate. They are jousting among themselves to determine whether the traditional conservatives or ultra-conservatives will dominate the agenda.

Women in the Capitol - Only 4 of 38 members of the Michigan Senate are women (two from each party), down from 9 in the previous Senate and down from 11 in the 2003-2005 Senate. The House has 27 women (16 Democrats and 11 Republicans) among its 110 Representatives, for a total of 21 percent female representation in Michigan’s legislature. Republican women doubled their representation in the legislature from 9 to 18 as a result of the election; Democratic women decreased by 10. Of course we lost Governor Jennifer Granholm to term limits but your can follow her future endeavors at jennifergranholm.com and on Facebook.

The New CEO of Michigan - Governor Snyder’s plans for governing Michigan include reducing business taxes, a two-year streamlined budget by June 1, ending item pricing and building another bridge across the Detroit River, just a few of his announced initiatives. As to women’s rights issues, Governor Snyder’s policy preferences are unknown since he declined to answer interest group questionnaires during the campaign and has no previous record in elective office. He told news sources that he is pro-life and opposes abortion except to save the life of the mother, rape and incest. 

Governor Snyder has appointed several talented women to his cabinet: the first woman to head the Michigan State Police, Kriste Etue; former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan at the Department of Human Services; former health insurance executive Olga Dazzo at the Department of Community Health; former Civil Service Commission Deputy Director Jan Winters as Director of the Office of the State Employer; and former director of communications for Oregon AARP Sara Wurfel as his press secretary.

Choice Issues - All Republicans and three Democrats (76 percent) of the Senate are opposed to abortion and about 65 percent of the House is known to be anti-abortion according to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan.  Several bills along those lines were introduced in the opening days of this legislative session, including criminalizing a late-term abortion procedure (HB 4109, 4110), banning abortion coverage in the new health care insurance exchanges (HB 4143, 4147), and defining a fetus as a person (SB 13). Bill information can be found at michiganlegislature.org.

 

Anti-School Bullying Bills - Anti-school bullying bills have been re-introduced: two enumerate the protected classes to include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression (SB 45, HB 4173) and one which does not enumerate (HB 4163).  The latter bill passed the House last session.

The Deficit and Women - Although Governor Snyder is facing a $1.85 billion structural deficit (the difference between projected state revenue and projected expenditures to maintain current programs), he continues to support abolishing the Michigan Business Tax that brings in $2.2 billion yearly and wants to replace it with a flat six percent business tax that would only bring in $700 million, thus increasing the structural deficit. Since the total general fund state budget is $9.6 billion, current state and local government programs would need a 20 to 40 percent reduction to balance the budget under this scenario. Women and children are the primary beneficiaries of government social services, health, and education programs and would be big losers if those programs are cut.  

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Mary Pollock is a long-time women’s rights advocate and experienced observer of the Michigan capitol scene. A former local elected official herself, she has held key posts in the legislative and executive branches of Michigan government.