June 27, 1997

Legislative & Political Week in Review

• Will Independence Day arrive next week for state lawmakers? At press time major items of unfinished legislative business—including casino regulation, agency budgets, and transportation funding—posed a major challenge to House and Senate plans to begin summer recess on July 4, although longtime observers do not discount legislators’ talents for grinding through wee-hour, marathon sessions to meet adjournment or recess deadlines.
• In observance of the July 4 holiday, Michigan Roundup will not publish next week. The next issue will appear on July 11, to report either on the successful wrap-up of the spring session or to resume coverage of the chambers’ efforts to conclude their agendas.
• With passage of the general government budget by the House this week, the lower chamber completed work on state agency appropriations, permitting overall spending target and conference committee compromising to begin. SB 170, which includes budgets for the legislature, Executive Office, auditor general, and other specialized agencies, passed narrowly, 56-52, after consideration of more than 50 amendments.
• Legislation bearing down on dangerous drivers was introduced this week, although its fate in the pre-recess legislative floor flurry is uncertain. HBs 4959-4961 would exact heavy penalties on residents who drive after their license has been suspended for drunk driving. Specially colored plates would mark their vehicles and could alert law enforcement personnel that other family members, but not the repeat offender, were licensed to operate the vehicle. The worst repeat offenders would have their vehicles seized under the proposed statutes. In related news, State Police released statistics this week showing an increase of nearly three percent in the number of arrests for drunk driving in the past year. Although the number of arrests—61,000—was up, fewer highway deaths were attributed to alcohol use, suggesting that Michigan’s ever-tougher drunk driving sanctions are working.
• On an 89-19 vote, the House passed HB 4526, putting 5,000 community police on Michigan streets by the year 2,000. This hot-button policy issue was championed by Democrats as signalling safer streets and state participation in the federal program launched in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. Some Republicans disparaged the legislation, which relies heavily on federal funds, predicting it will lead to overcrowded prisons and overloaded local prosecutors.
• A recent report issued by New Detroit designates metropolitan Detroit as the second most racially segregated region in the country. Michigan’s midwestern neighbor, Gary, Indiana, is number one, the report states.
• Call him Governor Angler: In his State of the Great Lakes Report released this week, the governor proposed spending over $18 million to renovate Michigan’s six fish hatcheries, and $3 million over three years to fight sea lamprey infestations in lakes Huron and Michigan. The governor said the funds are necessary to protect the $2 billion in annual revenue the state receives from its sports fishing industry.
• After early retirement stripped its workforce by 20 percent, the state Department of Natural Resources will replace half of the workers opting for early out. According to the Lansing State Journal, the DNR received executive office approval to double the statewide replacement ratio of 25 percent, or one of every four vacant positions. DNR director K.L. Kool said the increased replacements would permit the department to retain its current complement of wildlife biologists and technicians and forest firefighters.
• Non-teaching school employees would have access to binding arbitration to resolve employment conditions and labor disputes under a bill passed 59-43 by the House. HB 4755 amends a controversial anti-strike law for school employees passed three years ago and faces dim prospects in the Senate, according to Gongwer News Service.