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Whose Agenda is Lansing Enacting?

I thought the grassroots sent a clear message in last year’s election.  I thought we elected the most conservative legislature ever.  I thought they voted in conservative leadership.  I thought we told them to get rid of Common Core, eliminate ObamaCare, reduce the size of government making it less intrusive.  Isn’t this what we told them?  What they promised?

Let’s look at what is actually happening.  Then you can use this information to discuss with your representatives and senators during the summer at Bar-B-Q’s, Parades, Town Halls or other public meetings.  We need clarity!

Scrap national “Common Core” curriculum and tests
2017 House Bill 4192, February 9, 2017

Still sits in committee, supposedly held up by one vote, Representative Hank Vaupel.  Apparently he is immune to calls from constituents and pressure by leadership.  I know he has received lots of phone calls.  I assume leadership has pressed him, after all they told us this is important.  Now they are telling us at least 10,000 citizens must descend on Lansing to get this moving!   Seriously, the election meant nothing and citizens must take off their day job, drive to Lansing on their own dime and tell these guys AGAIN we want Common Core gone?  Tell YOUR representative to press in caucus for the passage of HB 4192.

Bill passage can not happen too soon.  I understand the budget calls for Michigan Department of Education to implement a new state assessment.  If HB 4192 does not pass, this new assessment WILL BE aligned to Common Core standards!  If the M-Step is replaced by something other than the MA assessments specified in the Repeal & Replace legislation, we will be looking at at least another three years before our “fiscally responsible Republicans” will consider agreeing to another assessment change.  Additionally, MDE has notified our state legislators that they plan to adopt the Common Core aligned C3 Social Studies standards.  Again, if this is done, they are unlikely to change the standards to MA pre-Common Core.  Time is of the essence.  Action is critical.  Pass HB 4192.

For those who may think this is a “one-trick-pony” concern, look at other key items in the grassroots agenda:

2017 House Bill 4416: Allow law-abiding citizens to carry pistol without special permit

Passed the House without 10,000 citizens descending on Lansing.  Passed the House despite Senate leadership planning to shelve it in Senator Meekhof’s Government Operations Committee.  Thank you House leadership.  Why not use this same approach to HB 4192?  Make it clear who the holdouts are.

2017 House Bill 4001: Reduce state income tax rate

Failed the House after they wrangled over how much they could “let us have.”  And now it appears a package of crony capitalist tax incentives are likely to pass once they confront the Governor for making a deal with Democrats.

Business Leaders of Michigan continues to argue in favor of Common Core, are crony capitalists demanding we keep it?

And speaking of crony capitalists,  2017 Senate Bill 111: Transfer state revenue to big developers  passed both the House and the Senate and is now law.

MEANWHILE, languishing in committees…..

Freeze enrollment in Obamacare Medicaid expansion
2017 House Bill 4598, May 11, 2017

An even better bill would roll back the expansion, but seriously, you can’t pass a freeze?

Require utilities provide customer “smart meter” opt-out
2017 House Bill 4220, February 15, 2017

These hearings generated hundreds of contacts.  Maybe this one needs 10,000 activists in Lansing too.

So again I ask, whose agenda is Republican leadership in Lansing enacting?