MICHIGAN STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE. ACU Presents 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Table of Contents

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1 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE MICHIGAN ACU Presents 2012 State Legislative Ratings The American Conservative Union is taking our hightly touted Congressional Ratings program to State Legislatures for the second year in a row, grading members on their votes on key conservative issues. Last year, we graded State Legislators in the critical battleground states of Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. This year, we are expanding our ratings to fifteen states. ACU first began rating members of Congress in Since then, our ratings system has become the most important conservative measuring stick in American politics- the gold standard for voters seeking more information on their representatives records. Table of Contents ACU Board Members A Letter From The Chairman How We Selected the Votes Conservative All-Stars MI House Vote Descriptions House Scores MI Senate Vote Descriptions Senate Scores This expansion of our Conservative Ratings program is part of Chairman Al Cardenas vision for building on successful ACU initiatives and taking the fight for conservative principles to the state and local levels. This is part of the ACU five-year plan to bring our ratings to all fifty states- scoring every legislature in every state, every year. Michigan State Capitol Building, Lansing, MI American Conservative Union 1331 H St. NW, Suite 500, Washington DC (202) conservative.org

2 ACU Board Members Al Cardenas (Chairman) Thomas S. Winter (First Vice Chairman) Donald Devine (Second Vice Chairman) Becky Norton Dunlop (Treasurer) Jameson G. Campaigne, Jr. (Secretary) Joe Bast Jeffrey Bell Morton C. Blackwell Ambassador John Bolton Floyd Brown Muriel Coleman Dr. Larry Eastland Paul Erickson Carly Fiorina Charlie Gerow Alan M. Gottlieb Van D. Hipp, Jr. Asa Hutchinson David A. Keene Suhail A. Khan James V. Lacy Michael R. Long Honorable Serphin Maltese Carolyn D. Meadows Cleta Mitchell Joseph A. Morris Grover G. Norquist Ron Robinson Allen Roth Matt Schlapp Fred L. Smith, Jr. Lewis K. Uhler Kirby Wilbur ACU Foundation Board Members Cleta Mitchell (Chairman) Van D. Hipp, Jr. (Treasurer) Carolyn D. Meadows (Secretary) Al Cardenas Amy Noone Frederick Tim Goeglein Millie Hallow Colin A. Hanna David Keene Robert Luddy Ambassador Roger F. Noriega Thomas S. Winter 2

3 August 1, 2012 Dear Fellow Conservative, On behalf of our Board of Directors, I am pleased to present the American Conservative Union s 2012 State Legislative Ratings for members of the Michigan Legislature. Al Cardenas, ACU Chairman Since 1971, our Congressional ratings have become the gold standard in holding every member of Congress accountable for their voting record on the most important issues facing our nation. Last year we brought that same commitment to conservative ideals to the states, by rating members in five legislatures. I am pleased to report that this year we will score 15 states. This is part of the ACU five-year plan to bring our ratings to all fifty states- scoring every legislature in every state, every year is a critical election year in the life of our nation and it is important, now more than ever, that Americans have the information to elect true conservatives into office. Now approaching four years under the failed leadership of President Barack Obama, America needs decisive change to rein in reckless spending, restore our standing in the international community and return to the traditional values that made our nation so great. The liberal policies of the Obama administration have energized a national grassroots conservative movement, bringing change to state and local governments nationwide. Because of this, our 2012 State Legislative Ratings are vital for voters to make informed choices on the future of our nation, especially in battleground states. We are dedicated to supporting the efforts of courageous conservative leaders fighting for limited government, promoting prosperity and individual freedom, and defending traditional values. Standing by voters around the nation, ACU is leading the way to encourage and help the next generation of conservative leaders, beginning at the state level. Thank you for your continued support. I know that together we can ensure America s best days are still ahead. Sincerely, Al Cardenas Chairman, American Conservative Union 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC Tel: (202) Fax: (202)

4 How We Selected the Votes 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE MICHIGAN The American Conservative Union is taking our hightly touted Congressional Ratings program to State Legislatures for the second year in a row, grading members on their votes on key conservative issues. Last year, we graded State Legislators in the critical battleground states of Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. This year, we are expanding our ratings to fifteen states. ACU first began rating members of Congress in Since then, our ratings system has become the most important conservative measuring stick in American politics- the gold standard for voters seeking more information on their representatives records. This expansion of our Conservative Ratings program is part of Chairman Al Cardenas vision for building on successful ACU initiatives and taking the fight for conservative principles to the state and local levels. This is part of the ACU five-year plan to bring our ratings to all fifty states- scoring every legislature in every state, every year. Conservative All-Stars of the Michigan Legislature Defenders of Liberty ACU Defenders of Liberty are those members of the Michigan Legislature who were present and cast a vote for each adjudicated roll call and scored 100 percent on the ACU 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Michigan State Senate: Joe Hune Michigan House of Representatives: David Agema ACU Conservatives ACU Conservatives are those members of the Michigan Legislature who scored 80 percent or higher on the ACU 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Michigan State Senate: Jack Brandenburg Mark Jansen Phil Pavlov David Robertson Howard Walker Patrick Colbeck Judy Emmons Dave Hildenbrand Mike Kowall Arlan Meekhof Randy Richardville Darwin Booher Rick Jones Jim Marleau John Moolenaar John Pappageorge Tory Rocca Tonya Schuitmaker 4

5 ACU Conservatives Continued... Michigan House of Representatives: Ray Franz Ken Goike Joseph Haveman Thomas Hooker Matt Huuki Marty Knollenberg Andrea LaFontaine Pete Lund Peter MacGregor Tom McMillin Chuck Moss Paul Opsommer Amanda Price Mike Shirkey John Walsh James Jase Bolger Jon Bumstead Mike Callton Kevin Cotter Hugh Crawford Kevin Daley Kurt Damrow Cindy Denby Jeff Farrington Frank Foster Robert Genetski Jud Gilbert Gail Haines Kurt Heise Holly Hughes Bradford Jacobsen Nancy Jenkins Eileen Kowall Kenneth Kurtz Matt Lori Lisa Lyons Greg MacMaster Edward McBroom Aric Nesbitt Margaret O Brien Rick Olson Mark Ouimet Rick Outman Earl Poleski Phil Potvin Al Pscholka Bill Rogers Wayne Schmidt Patrick Somerville Jim Stamas Ken Yonker Anthony Forlini Joel Johnson Peter Pettalia Bruce Rendon Deb Shaughnessy Sharon Tyler Dale W. Zorn Joseph Graves True Liberals of the Great Lakes State True Liberals of the Great Lakes State are those members of the Michigan Legislature who scored 0 percent on the ACU 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Michigan House of Representatives: Vicki Barnett Ellen Lipton John Olumba 5

6 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE MICHIGAN Michigan House of Representatives Vote Descriptions Abortion restrictions. This bill revises Michigan s regulation of abortion procedures, including the determination of a medical abortion, licensing of abortion facilities, liability coverage for physicians and the disposition of a dead fetus. ACU supports restrictions on abortions and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 13, 2012 by a vote of Unionization of home health care workers. This bill establishes that a person whose work receives government subsidies (e.g. Medicare) is not considered a government employee and cannot be forced into a union. ACU opposes compulsory unionization and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2012 by a vote of School pension system. This bill revises system of post-retirement health benefits for school employees to a 401 (k) system for new employees and raises the contribution for current employees from 10 to 20 percent. ACU supports bringing benefits for government employees in-line with the private sector and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2012 by a vote of Project Labor Agreements. This bill prohibits Project Labor Agreements on public constructions projects. ACU opposes PLAs which forces non-union contractors to meet union requirements and pay union dues, driving up the project costs to the taxpayer and supports this bill. The bill passed the Michigan House on June 7, 2012 by a vote of Union dues deduction. This bill prohibits school districts from using taxpayer resources to deduct union dues from paychecks and sending the funds to the union. ACU opposes compulsory dues deduction and supports this bill. The bill passed the Michigan House on March 7, 2012 by a vote of Unionization of graduate research assistants. This bill establishes that graduate students who work as research assistants are not government employees for purposes of unionization. ACU supports this common sense clarification and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on March 7, 2012 by a vote of Union PAC funds. This bill prohibits the deduction of funds from an employee s paycheck for contributions to union political action committees. ACU opposes compulsory PAC contributions and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on February 15, 2012 by a vote of Public cyber schools. This bill expands the opportunity for Michigan students to take advantage of online public cyber schools and allows community colleges and school districts to create online charter schools anywhere in the state. ACU supports expanding school choice and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on April 26, 2012 by a vote of

7 Health care mandates. This bill adds the treatment of autism to the list of provisions insurance companies must include to sell insurance in the state. The bill authorizes but does not appropriate taxpayer funds to cover the extra cost. ACU opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of health care for everyone and opposes this bill. The bill passed the House on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Tax increase. This bill imposed a new tax on produce sales from farmers to grain dealers, who are subject to a state regulatory regime. ACU opposes new taxes which are ultimately paid for by the consumer in higher prices and opposes this bill. The bill passed the House on May 10, 2012 by a vote of Tax cut. This bill phases in a state income tax cut to 3.9 percent from 4.35 percent over six years. ACU supports these efforts to give tax relief and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2012 by a vote of Welfare limits. This bill writes into a law an asset cap for food stamp recipients, now done as agency policy. ACU supports these common sense efforts for means tested entitlements and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Outsourcing. This bill allows local government to use private contractors for building code administration and enforcement. ACU supports expanding the opportunities for private businesses in government programs and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Voting integrity. This bill requires a photo ID when applying for an absentee ballot in person and to affirm U.S. citizenship when applying in person or by mail. ACU supports efforts to maintain voting integrity and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2012 by a vote of but was vetoed by the Governor Groundwater contamination. This bill overhauls the laws that govern groundwater contamination cleanup. Supporters say that current laws provide unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that cost millions of dollars and result in contaminated sites sitting idle. ACU supports efforts to streamline the bureaucracy to improve efficiency and improve the environment and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 5, 2012 by a vote of Beach grooming. This bill allows shoreline property owners to clean up the beaches without getting a government permit. ACU supports these common sense efforts to reduce the size of government and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2012 by a vote of Second Amendment rights. This bill repeals the requirement that firearm purchasers travel to a police station in order to receive a permit. The permit requires a written test, is good for one gun purchase and expires after ten days. These requirements are replaced with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. ACU supports the expansion of Second Amendment rights and supports this bill. The bill passed the Michigan House on June 13, 2012 by a vote of

8 MICHIGAN 2012 HOUSE VOTES Correct Total Scored ACU % Representative Name Party AGEMA R % Ananich D - - X % Barnett D % Bauer D % Bledsoe D % BOLGER R % Brown D % Brunner D + - X % BUMSTEAD R % Byrum D % CALLTON R % Cavanagh D % Clemente D % Constan D % COTTER R % CRAWFORD R % DALEY R % DAMROW R % Darany D % DENBY R % Dillon D % Durhal D % FARRINGTON R % FORLINI R % FOSTER R % FRANZ R % Geiss D % GENETSKI R % GILBERT R % GLARDON R % GOIKE R % GRAVES R E % X = Did not vote.; E= Excused Absence 8

9 MICHIGAN 2012 HOUSE VOTES Correct Total Scored ACU % Representative Name Party Greimel D E % HAINES R % Hammel D X % Haugh D X % HAVEMAN R % HEISE R % Hobbs D X % HOOKER R % HORN R % Hovey0Wright D - - X % Howze D % HUGHES R % HUUKI R % Irwin D % Jackson D - - X X X % JACOBSEN R % JENKINS R % JOHNSON R % Kandrevas D % KNOLLENBERG R % KOWALL R % KURTZ R % LAFONTAINE R % Lane D % LeBlanc D % Lindberg D - - X X X % Lipton D % Liss D % LORI R % LUND R % LYONS R % MACGREGOR R % X = Did not vote.; E= Excused Absence 9

10 MICHIGAN 2012 HOUSE VOTES Correct Total Scored ACU % Representative Name Party MACMASTER R % MCBROOM R % McCann D % MCMILLIN R % Meadows D % MOSS R % MUXLOW R % Nathan D - - X % NEITT R % Oakes D % O'BRIEN R % OLSON R % Olumba D - X - X % OPSOMMER R % OUIMET R % OUTMAN R % PETTALIA R % POLESKI R % POTVIN R % PRICE R % PSCHOLKA R % RENDON R % ROGERS R % Rutledge D % Santana D X % Schmidt D % SCHMIDT R % Segal D % SHAUGHNESSY R % SHIRKEY R % Slavens D % Smiley D % X = Did not vote.; E= Excused Absence 10

11 MICHIGAN 2012 HOUSE VOTES Correct Total Scored ACU % Representative Name Party SOMERVILLE R % Stallworth D % STAMAS R % Stanley D % Stapleton D % Switalski D % Talabi D X % Tlaib D % Townsend D X % TYLER R % WALSH R X % Womack D X % YONKER R % ZORN R % PETTALIA R % POLESKI R % POTVIN R % PRICE R % PSCHOLKA R % RENDON R % ROGERS R % Rutledge D % Santana D X % Schmidt D % SCHMIDT R % Segal D % SHAUGHNESSY R % SHIRKEY R % Slavens D % Smiley D % SOMERVILLE R % X = Did not vote.; E= Excused Absence 11

12 MICHIGAN 2012 HOUSE VOTES Correct Total Scored ACU % Representative Name Party Stallworth D % STAMAS R % Stanley D % Stapleton D % Switalski D % Talabi D X % Tlaib D % Townsend D X % TYLER R % WALSH R X % Womack D X % YONKER R % ZORN R % X = Did not vote.; E= Excused Absence 12

13 Michigan Senate Vote Descriptions 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE MICHIGAN Parental rights on abortion. This bill requires a court to consider whether a minor is capable of providing informed consent for an abortion before granting a waiver over the objections of the parents. ACU supports the expansion of parental rights over abortion and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Unionization of home health care workers. This bill establishes that a person whose work receives government subsidies (e.g. Medicare) is not considered a government employee and cannot be forced into a union. ACU opposes compulsory unionization and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 22, 2012 by a vote of School pension system. This bill revises system of post-retirement health benefits for school employees to a 401 (k) system for new employees and raises the contribution for current employees from 10 to 20 percent. ACU supports bringing benefits for government employees in-line with the private sector and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on May 17, 2012 by a vote of Project Labor Agreements. This bill prohibits Project Labor Agreements on public constructions projects. ACU opposes PLAs which forces non-union contractors to meet union requirements and pay union dues, driving up the project costs to the taxpayer and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on June 12, 2012 by a vote of Union dues deduction. This bill prohibits school districts from using taxpayer resources to deduct union dues from paychecks and sending the funds to the union. ACU opposes compulsory dues deduction and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 7, 2012 by a vote of Unionization of graduate research assistants. This bill establishes that graduate students who work as research assistants are not government employees for purposes of unionization. ACU supports this common sense clarification and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 7, 2012 by a vote of Union PAC funds. This bill prohibits the deduction of funds from an employee s paycheck for contributions to union political action committees. ACU opposes compulsory PAC contributions and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on February 14, 2012 by a vote of Public cyber schools. This bill expands the opportunity for Michigan students to take advantage of online public cyber schools and allows community colleges and school districts to create online charter schools anywhere in the state. ACU supports expanding school choice and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on May 2, 2012 by a vote of

14 Health care mandates. This bill adds the treatment of autism to the list of provisions insurance companies must include to sell insurance in the state. The bill authorizes but does not appropriate taxpayer funds to cover the extra cost. ACU opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of health care for everyone and opposes this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Tax increase. This bill imposed a new tax on produce sales from farmers to grain dealers, who are subject to a state regulatory regime. ACU opposes new taxes which are ultimately paid for by the consumer in higher prices and opposes this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 15, 2012 by a vote of Welfare limits. This bill writes into a law an asset cap for food stamp recipients, now done as agency policy. ACU supports these common sense efforts for means tested entitlements and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Outsourcing. This bill allows local government to use private contractors for building code administration and enforcement. ACU supports expanding the opportunities for private businesses in government programs and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 29, 2012 by a vote of Voting integrity. This bill requires a photo ID when applying for an absentee ballot in person and to affirm U.S. citizenship when applying in person or by mail. ACU supports efforts to maintain voting integrity and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on June 14, 2012 by a vote of but was vetoed by the Governor Groundwater contamination. This bill overhauls the laws that govern groundwater contamination cleanup. Supporters say that current laws provide unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that cost millions of dollars and result in contaminated sites sitting idle. ACU supports efforts to streamline the bureaucracy to improve efficiency and improve the environment and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on June 6, 2012 by a vote of Beach grooming. This bill allows shoreline property owners to clean up the beaches without getting a government permit. ACU supports these common sense efforts to reduce the size of government and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on June 14, 2012 by a vote of Tax cut. This bill will cut and in some cases eliminate the personal property tax businesses pay on tools and equipment. ACU supports efforts to reduce taxes and increase economic growth and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on May 10, 2012 by a vote of Government mandates. This bill repeals the mandatory helmet law for motorcycle operators age 21 or over who have two years experience or pass a safety test. ACU opposes mandates that do not affect the safety of others and supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate on March 28, 2012 by a vote of Government transparency. This bill requires state agencies to submit to the legislature a detailed spending plan that includes a list of programs for each line item and the amount of taxpayer money they plan to spend. ACU supports these efforts at government transparency and supports this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 3, 2012 by a vote of

15 MICHIGAN 2012 SENATE VOTES S Correct Total Scored ACU % Senator Name Party Anderson D % Bieda D % BOOHER R % BRANDENBURG R % CASPERSON R % CASWELL R % COLBECK R % EMMONS R % Gleason D % GREEN R E % Gregory D % HANSEN R % HILDENBRAND R % Hood D % Hopgood D E % HUNE R % Hunter D % JANSEN R % Johnson D E E % JONES R % KAHN R % KOWALL R % MARLEAU R % MEEKHOF R % MOOLENAAR R % NOFS R % PAPPAGEORGE R % PAVLOV R % PROOS R % RICHARDVILLE R % ROBERTSON R % 15

16 MICHIGAN 2012 SENATE VOTES S Correct Total Scored ACU % Senator Name Party ROCCA R % SCHUITMAKER R % Smith D % WALKER R % Warren D % Whitmer D % Young D % 16

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19 MOBILIZING THE MOUNTAIN WEST REGISTER ONLINE: conservative.org INVITED SPEAKERS INCLUDE: JOHN BARRASSO JAN BREWER GLENN BECK The American Conservative Union is proud to a project of present CPAC Colorado, held on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport. CPAC Colorado takes the fight for the future of America directly to an important battleground state, and the site of the broken promises made to the American people in Denver the night President Obama accepted his party s nomination in Denver will also be the site of the first Presidential debate, where -- the night before CPAC Colorado the President s failed leadership will be on full display. AL CARDENAS DOUG LAMBORN HUGH HEWITT MICHELLE MALKIN RAÚL LABRADOR JOHN MCCAIN CPAC Colorado will bring national and regional conservative leaders and grassroots activists together for a full day of blockbuster speeches, grassroots activist training and network opportunities all celebrating our founding principles of limited government, a strong national defense and traditional values. KEVIN MCCARTHY MICHAEL MEDVED PEGGY NOONAN VENUE: Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport, E. 40th Avenue, Denver CO Discounted Room Rate: $129/night SARAH PALIN DENNY REERG MITT ROMNEY REGISTER: Online at conservative.org or mail form below YES! I WANT TO ATTEND THE CPAC COLORADO CONFERENCE. ENCLOSED IS MY REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT: REGISTRATION OPTIONS: GENERAL REGISTRATION - $50 ($75 onsite) STUDENT REGISTRATION - $25 ($35 onsite) Valid Student ID Required at Check In VIP - $200 Includes VIP ticket with priority seating, VIP reception and VIP express check-in. *For non-acu members, ticket purchase(s) will include a one year complimentary ACU membership. a project of NAME: ADDRESS: CITY: ST: ZIP: *CELL PHONE: PAY BY CREDIT CARD: CARD # EXP. SEC. CODE NAME ON CARD: MAKE CHECK PAYABLE & MAIL TO: CPAC COLORADO 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC (202) SIGNATURE:

20 The American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is America s oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization. Founded in 1964, ACU represents the views of Americans who are concerned with economic growth through lower taxes and reduced government spending and the issues of liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values, and national security. As America s conservative voice, ACU is the leading entity in providing conservative positions on issues to Congress, White House Administration Officials, State Governments, the media, political candidates and the public. The ACU s marquee initiatives include the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and the annual Ratings of Congress guide. Under the leadership of ACU Chairman Al Cardenas, the organization remains the standard bearer of conservatism in America. Chairman Cardenas is dedicated to growing the national conservative movement through the expansion of ACU programs, unprecedented outreach and advocacy especially to young, emerging activists and an extended reach into local and state issues. Among these inaugural efforts are the expansion of conservative rating to State Legislatures and a first-ever series of regional CPAC s in states across the country, building on the legacy of the annual national CPAC event in our Nation s Capital. For more information on the American Conservative Union, please visit our website at Contact Us 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC Phone: (202) conservative.org