Today the Michigan Senate Democrats launched Michigan’s first ever legislative caucus Facebook page and Twitter page. A number of Senate Democratic members also have their own Facebook or Twitter accounts, but only a handful of other caucuses across the country are using these new media sites.  

These new interactive tools will feature up-to-date information on legislation and issues of interest, offer people an insider perspective of the Capitol and focus on the Senate Democrats’ priorities for Michigan. Also, both outlets will feature running commentary throughout Governor Jennifer Granholm’s State of the State address next Tuesday, February 3, 2009.

Yesterday I made the following statement during session about the importance of Sunshine Week, and the contributions of Senior White House Correspondent Helen Thomas:

I rise today to combine the pride of Women’s History Month with the increasing significance of Sunshine Week, a week dedicated to openness in government and freedom of information. I do that by paying tribute to a long-serving local hero of mine, White House news correspondent Helen Thomas.

Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920, but she was raised in Detroit where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. The year after college, Thomas served as a copy girl on the now-defunct Washington Daily News, joining UPI in 1943. She later covered federal beats that included the Department of Justice, FBI, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and Capitol Hill before she began covering President-elect John F. Kennedy in 1960. Thomas went on to the White House in January 1961 with UPI where she remained until May 2000, when she left to join Hearst News Service as a White House correspondent.

During the years she covered Kennedy, Thomas was the first woman to close a presidential news conference with the traditional, “Thank you, Mr. President,” a tradition that President Bush abandoned in 2003. Thomas has grilled every President since John F. Kennedy with blunt, pointed, and tough questions. She has served as president of the Women’s National Press Club and was the first woman officer of the National Press Club after it opened its doors to women members for the first time in 90 years. In addition, Thomas became the first woman officer of the White House Correspondent’s Association in its 50 years of existence and served as its first woman president. She also became the first woman member of the Gridiron Club in its history and the first woman to be elected its president.

But I raise her name today to not only list her tributes, but to lift her as a symbol of the fourth annual Sunshine Week. Helen Thomas believes, and has believed throughout her 65-year-plus career, that the public is entitled to know what their government is doing and why. She has spent her lifetime attempting to inform the public and provide the information they need to become active participants in their government. Unfortunately, the job isn’t getting any easier these days. That’s why we need to continue to emphasize the importance of Sunshine Week and its vital role in our democracy.

On behalf of all intrepid reporters like Helen Thomas, I once again urge open government and fair, objective coverage of their workings. Let the sunshine in.

Here are some of the highlights on this week’s agenda. For more complete information, be sure to visit legislature.michigan.gov.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008

• The Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committees will meet to hear the FY 2009 Executive Budget Recommendations, presented by State Budget Director Bob Emerson. Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee include Senators Switalski (MVC), Anderson, Barcia, Brater, Cherry, Clark-Coleman, and Scott. For more detailed information on this week’s budget presentation, click here.
• The Energy Policy and Public Utilities Committee will meet at 1:00 pm and is expected to continue discussions on implementing a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for Michigan. Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Jim Barcia (D-Bay City), have been pushing to implement an aggressive RPS for some time. To read more about our ongoing efforts, click here. For a more complete list of the bills being debated in this week’s committee meeting, click here.

We will have more extensive coverage of the Governor’s FY 2009 Budget Recommendations here on Call of the Senate Democrats later in the week—check back soon!

It was pretty hectic around the Capitol following the Governor's State of the State address on Tuesday evening, but we were able to get a few of our members on camera responding to the speech. You can watch their statements on YouTube at the following links:

• Democratic Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek)
• Sen. Martha G. Scott (D-Highland Park)
• Sen. Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit)
• Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor)
• Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit)
• Sen. Glenn S. Anderson (D-Westland)
• Sen. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit)

The Governor laid out some very important and aggressive initiatives tonight, but none hit closer to home for me than the repeal of Michigan’s 1995 drug immunity law shielding pharmaceutical makers from product liability lawsuits. A little over a year ago, I introduced legislation that would do just that as one of my first acts as a State Senator. The issue has received little traction thus far, but I’m hoping Senator Bishop will start to embrace the increased bipartisanship Gov. Granholm called for tonight and work cooperatively to move this vital legislation. I personally know people in Genesee County who have taken and been hurt by defective prescription drugs like Vioxx, and it’s time they and their families get the justice they deserve.

The Governor’s focus this evening on education and alternative energy laid out a strong plan for revitalizing our economy. She addressed the immediate pocketbook issues-like skyrocketing mortgage rates and education costs—that families face everyday while charting a path for the future. I look forward to working with my colleagues to helping make Michigan a leader in the 21st Century economy.

I am encouraged and inspired by Governor Granholm's remarks this evening.  Her efforts to help financially struggling Michigan residents, especially those homeowners burdened by unmanageable mortgages, will ultimately result in a stronger Michigan economy.  Combined with the Governor's efforts to create jobs and support education, this plan will surely bring Michigan back.

But I am especially heartened by the Governor's efforts to bring fairness and equality to the insurance system in Michigan.  For far too long, residents have struggled financially to purchase a product required by law.  I am hopeful that the proposed reform will be an important first step in reforming a currently biased and unjust system.  I applaud the Governor for her efforts and I look forward to working with all my colleagues to make her plans a reality.

Governor Granholm put forth a strong plan to encourage economic development and help for homeowners trying to cope with escalating mortgage rates in a depressed economy.  I strongly support increasing MSHDA funding to prevent families from being priced out of their homes.  I'm also very supportive of increased efforts to ban the predatory lending practices that often accompany these mortgages.

In addition, I am particularly excited about exploring incentives for new and innovative industries, like alternative energy and film-making, to help lure these businesses to our state to build our economy and expand the job opportunities.  The next step is to work together legislatively to make these efforts a reality.