Senate Republican Priorities
and Achievements

Budget: Right-sizing government and Growing Michigan's Economy

The first step to government's economic recovery is an honest acknowledgement of the crisis. Denial is no longer an option, and reliance on tired old solutions and political rhetoric will not change our fortunes. Staying the course is only going to make matters worse and prolong our journey to the road to recovery. (more)

Elimination of MBT Surcharge

Senate Republicans sent a message this year to Michigan job providers to let them know how important they are to re-energizing our state's economy. We encouraged them to keep their businesses here with our recent passage of a bill to eliminate the onerous Michigan Business Tax surcharge. Senate Bill 1 phases out the 21.99 percent MBT surcharge over a two-year period - cutting the surcharge by half to 11 percent in 2009 and eliminating it by 2010. (more)

Workforce Training and Jobs

With our state's unemployment rate nearly 50 percent higher than the rest of the country, we must do everything we can to help put people back to work and facilitate job creation. Michigan has been in a one-state recession for the past six years and our state's economy is undergoing a change that is fundamental and long lasting. As this process plays out, the need to have a trained and capable workforce will grow and remain a top consideration for employers and entrepreneurs deciding where they want to locate. (more)

Health Care Reforms

Currently, Michigan is home to an estimated 1.1 million residents who do not have health insurance, which is equal to 11.5 percent of the state's population. This number is likely to increase unless the economy improves.

Michigan Senate Republicans understand many residents are afraid that they may not be able to afford health insurance. In the last legislative session we tried to address these concerns before they became an issue for the people of Michigan, but unfortunately, the House did not agree. (more)

Eliminate Bureaucracy

Senate Republicans will continue to do everything to make our state a leader in the nation for job growth. One of the most important factors a business considers when deciding where to locate or expand its operations is the time, cost, and ease of compliance associated with a state's regulatory climate.

Senate Republicans will continue our fight to eliminate bureaucracy and make Michigan an inviting place to do business. We will work with job providers to reform the regulatory structure in Michigan and to put pressure on the administration when the actions of a department are costing us precious jobs. (more)

An Agenda for Strong Schools

Senate Republicans firmly believe that the success of our great state will depend almost entirely on whether Michigan has the kind of education system that provides our children and future generations with the skills to succeed in the fiercely competitive and ever-evolving global economy. Literally and figuratively, we simply cannot afford an education model that has grown out of a 20th century industrial and agrarian society. Just as we must diversify our economy, we must challenge ourselves to innovate and to create a diverse and comprehensive approach to educating our children. We are focused and committed to a long-range plan to build strong schools that reflect a dynamic, efficient and high-performance 21st century learning environment. (more)

Protecting Water and Natural Resources

Michigan's natural resources are one of the state's most valuable assets. It is imperative that they be preserved and protected. Senate Republicans will continue our strong leadership role in protecting our water and our environment.

Efforts to conserve Michigan's natural resources are not new for Senate Republicans. For more than five years, we have been leading the way to develop proactive legislation to protect the Great Lakes, promote alternative energy, and expand recycling in Michigan. (more)

Keeping People in Their Homes

Senate Republicans will take action to ensure families are not taxed out of their homes in these tough economic times.

Property values in Michigan have declined steadily over the past two years. Most homeowners have seen the values of their homes drop 15 percent to 25 percent. Property taxes, however, have actually increased over the same period.

We will lead the charge to fix the constitutional provision that allows property taxes to increase while the value of your home decreases. (more)

Making Neighborhoods Safe

Senate Republicans served on a bipartisan workgroup comprised of members of the governor's administration, the House, and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center to determine how the state might reduce corrections spending while reinvesting in measures that will make communities safer and stronger. The workgroup produced a bipartisan package of policy options that gives Michigan a real chance to achieve needed cost savings and prevents crime at the same time. (more)

From the Senate Floor

Michigan Senate Republicans Floor Statements

Senator Cropsey refutes false statements by the governor and other democrats that the Senate has not acted on revenue generating legislation for the K12 budget.

Recent Blogs from Senate Republicans

Royal Oak Superintendent Dr. Thomas Moline hit the nail on the head when recently testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of my resolution urging an override of the governors veto of 20j funding. (read)

Health Care Reforms

Affordable, Accessible Health Care

Michigan Senate Republicans understand many residents are afraid that they may not be able to afford health insurance. In the last legislative session we tried to address these concerns before they became an issue for the people of Michigan, but unfortunately, the House did not agree.

To tackle this growing healthcare problem, the Senate Republicans last session introduced legislation designed to provide affordable, basic health care coverage options to Michigan residents. Additionally, it included measures to help people lead healthier lives, contain the growth of health care costs, improve the health of those on Medicaid, and control Medicaid health care costs in the long-run. Unfortunately, the bipartisan Senate effort was ignored by the House.

Medicaid Reforms

Senate Republicans last session enacted a measure that requires the Department of Community Health to implement healthy behavior incentives and provider pay-for-performance measures in the Medicaid program. The federal government Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has not yet approved the waiver. We call upon the governor to act as an advocate for the state of Michigan and bring affordable health care options to the neediest individuals in this state by fighting to get this waiver approved. Funds have been appropriated for this program, but they sit idle in the budget as the state waits for approval of the waiver. If the governor is serious about providing healthcare to the people of Michigan, she should be relentless in her efforts to finalize this waiver.

Senate Republicans will not be deterred by the inaction of the House regarding this matter or the failure of the governor to obtain a much needed Medicaid waiver. Instead, in the coming session, Senate Republicans will engage in groundbreaking efforts to develop a package that will make insurance more affordable and accessible for the people of Michigan. Our focus will be on getting people the health insurance that they need so they can live healthy and well.

We will also address the cost of Medicaid to the state. Currently the Medicaid budget consumes a majority of the Department of Community Health budget. If we do not act soon to reform the Medicaid system, we may not be able to afford to cover those who desperately need health care but cannot afford it.

Senate Republicans are going to continually push for reforms to the Medicaid system so that it becomes more cost-efficient, and everyone who is entitled to benefits receives the benefits they deserve. We will look intensely at the efficiency of the Medicaid system and focus on reforms that improve the delivery of Medicaid benefits. We have at our disposal 21st century technology; it is time that we use it to deliver benefits to the people of the 21st century. If we can improve efficiency and reduce processing errors, then we are one-step closer to tackling the structural problems present in the Medicaid system.

News items related to Health Care Reforms

WHEN MICHIGAN IS STRUGGLING WITH ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS AND A STATE BUDGET DEFICIT, IT IS INEXCUSABLE THAT AN ESTIMATED 10 PERCENT OF MICHIGANS $10 BILLION MEDICAID BUDGET IS TAINTED BY FRAUD, WASTE OR ABUSE.

Kahns Corner for the week of October 26, 2009 [more]

GOVS VETO TO AFFECT SAGINAW COUNTY CHILDREN

State Sen. Roger Kahn is deeply troubled by the governors recent line item veto of nearly $1.6 million in funding for Zero to Three Secondary Prevention Services, which will negatively impact children in Saginaw County and across the state. [more]

CASSIS: REFORM MEDICAID AND REDUCE FRAUD; DONT TAX DOCTORS TO COVER WASTEFUL SPENDING

Sen. Nancy Cassis, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, emphasized today that Michigan should not tax doctors to raise new revenues just to cover further wasteful spending by the Michigan Department of Community Health (DCH). [more]

SEN. KAHN OFFERS STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF DCH BUDGET

These are tough times for Michigan and tough times call for tough cuts. Spending was reduced by several hundred million dollars due to falling revenue and the constitutional requirement to balance Michigans budget. Even with these reductions, we still protected our most vulnerable especially children. [more]