Recent items on the Michigan Senate Republicans website http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop News and information from the Michigan Senate Republicans en-us Copyright 2007 Michigan Senate Republican Caucus. All Rights Reserved. 11/23/2009 6:19:58 PM 20 Senate Appropriations Committee rejects governor's order and approves McManus plan merging DNR and DEQ http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2811&District=35The Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday rejected Executive Order 45, the governor's proposal to combine the departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality and approved a comprehensive strategy put forth by Sen. Michelle McManus to merge the departments. 11/10/2009 Business and conservation groups support McManus resolutions; urge state to keep politics out of natural resources management http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2773&District=35Citizens want politics kept out of natural resources management. That was the message delivered to senators at todays joint Senate hearing to consider a resolution sponsored by Sen. Michelle McManus to reject the governors proposed merger of the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Quality. 10/21/2009 McManus, Insurance Industry Call for Increased Teen Driver Safety http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2760&District=35At a press conference commemorating National Teen Driver Safety Week Tuesday, legislators and insurance industry representatives highlighted the severity of fatal teen car crashes and urged action to help curb this national epidemic. 10/20/2009 Sen. McManus calls governors DNR/DEQ consolidation plan a good first step; says more work needs to be done http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2738&District=35State Sen. Michelle McManus on Thursday called the governors plan to create a new Department of Natural Resources and Environment a step in the right direction, but said more work needs to be done. She urged the Senate to reject Executive Order 45 of 2009, which would establish the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in state government. 10/9/2009 Sen. McManus speaks out against merging Department of Agriculture with DNR and DEQ http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2683&District=35Sen. Michelle McManus today spoke out on the Senate floor against a possible Executive Order merging the departments of agriculture, environmental quality and natural resources, criticizing the plan for failing to recognize the missions of the departments involved. 9/17/2009 Senate resolution calls for balanced budgets by June 1 http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2678&District=35The Michigan Senate today adopted a resolution that will help ensure the Michigan Legislature passes a balanced budget in a timely manner, said resolution co-sponsor Sen. Michelle McManus. 9/16/2009 McManus offers legislation to merge departments of natural resources and environmental quality http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2664&District=35A comprehensive plan introduced Thursday in the Michigan Legislature would streamline government and provide more regulatory certainty for businesses by merging the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), announced Sen. Michelle McManus, lead sponsor of the package. 9/10/2009 Sen. McManus calls for creation of a new Department of Conservation to oversee state's natural resources and environmental quality functions http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2473&District=35Michigan's natural resources and environmental quality would no longer be managed by separate state departments under a proposal by Sen. Michelle McManus, chair of the Senate Appropriations Natural Resources Subcommittee. 6/11/2009 Sawmill industry testifies in support of McManus bill http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2441&District=35Photo Advisory 6/4/2009 Senate puts "shot clock" on campaign finance investigations http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/readarticle.asp?ID=2395&District=35The secretary of state would have 60 days to act on allegations of campaign finance violations under legislation overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate on Tuesday. 5/19/2009