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

The leaves have all fallen from the trees, the temperatures are dropping and soon the snow will be flying it must be time for one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. (read)

Senate Republicans News Now

MIKE NOFS SWORN IN AS STATE SENATOR FOR 19TH DISTRICT

State Sen. Mike Nofs was sworn into office at the state Capitol today with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert P. Young administering the oath. [more]

BISHOP, JELINEK DISMAYED BY GOVERNORS 20J VETO

Senate Majority Leader Michael D. Bishop and Senate Appropriations Chair Ron Jelinek expressed their disappointment Tuesday after the governor chose to veto nearly $52 million in 20j funding, leaving 40 school districts across Michigan in shock. [more]

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Welcome to the Michigan Senate Republicans Website

Dear fellow Michigan residents,

The hard working taxpayers of Michigan, and citizens across the rest of the United States, are weary of the status quo. They have lost patience with inefficient government, at any level, that seems incapable of solving problems.

People want a government that gets things done and then gets out of the way. Elected officials are stewards of the public trust, and they have a staggering list of challenges facing them during this era of great economic uncertainty.

Amidst these real difficulties there is an opportunity for meaningful change. After years of one-time fixes and temporary solutions, the day of reckoning has finally arrived. Senate Republicans have repeatedly pushed for reforms and enhanced accountability in state government.

Now is the time to enact them. Michigan's budget must be trimmed to reflect the realities of a new century. The state can no longer afford the bloated government that was built in our economic heyday. We must make tough decisions and set real priorities, not just patch the outdated system so it can stagger through another turbulent year.

We need to make Michigan competitive again and remove the obstacles put in the path of our job providers.

Our tax system is a burden that is devastating our small businesses - the very engine of our economy.

In 2009 and beyond, Senate Republicans have four main goals:

Work with job providers to put Michigan back to work.
Work to ensure financial and personal security for our state and its residents - keeping families in their homes.
Work with communities to develop neighborhood schools that will ensure our children have every tool, advantage and training necessary to succeed in this global economy.
Work to protect our environment and our greatest natural resource - The Great Lakes and our fresh water.

By moving on these four major policy initiatives, we will create a new era of opportunity for Michigan families. Our children deserve a chance at an excellent quality of life. As stewards of the public trust, we must help them prepare for the jobs of tomorrow while safeguarding the resources they will need to prosper. If we fail to act, Michigan will continue to lose the best and the brightest as the next generation hits the road and takes its talents elsewhere.

We can turn things around. In the following pages, Senate Republicans outline a sensible, realistic plan to help put Michigan back on the right track. It's time we fix Michigan and here's our comprehensive plan to get it done.

Sincerely,
Michael D. Bishop
Senate Majority Leader