It's a brand new day in Michigan.
LANSING, Mich. - Bolstered by their big success in the election, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Democratic lawmakers hope they have a better shot at increasing the size of college scholarships, revamping business taxes and easing restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.
"We know that there's a lot of work to do, and we're not going to slow down," Granholm said Wednesday, a day after she easily won re-election and Democrats took control of the state House for the first time in eight years.
In preliminary vote counts, Republicans appeared to lose one seat from their current 22 but maintain their 23-year reign in the state Senate. Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming, said the election created a chance for more cooperation between the parties.
"The next two years could be an incredible era of bipartisan cooperation and progress," said Sikkema, who is leaving office at the end of the year because of term limits. "To make progress, you're going to have to govern from the center."
Or what, Ken? You'll lose even more seats in '08?
Granholm has been governing from the center, so much so the left was pissed off at her. Time for the Michigan Republicans to get back to the center and stop being the puppets of the right-wing forces that control the party.
You guys ready to get rid of the DeVos influence now? Going to stop being the obstinate little obstructionists that you have been for the past few years? Hmmmmm?
The biggest issue that faces the governor and legislators is replacing nearly $2 billion in lost tax revenue by the end of 2007, when the Single Business Tax will die.
Sikkema said he wants to craft a new business tax during the "lame-duck" session between the election and Jan. 1. He stressed that he is more concerned about the structure of the new tax than whether there is a net tax decrease for businesses, which some other Republicans have called for.
Granholm, who insists all the lost tax dollars must be replaced, said she would not rule out any attempt to revamp the SBT before the end of the year.
But she added her No. 1 priority in the final two months is increasing the state-funded Merit Award college scholarship to $4,000. High school graduates who do well on standardized tests now can earn up to $3,000 for college. The proposal has passed the Senate but awaits consideration in the House.
Seems to me DeRoche said he had some lovely ideas for the Merit Scholarship- let's hear 'em, Craig. Or we move on without you in '07. Your choice.
This is gonna be fun. I am so happy for my state- we can start to move forward again.
Granholm asked to be "set free" from the Legislature. Well, Governor, we did it. Show 'em what you can do. And if they give you any static, call their bluff.
I know I'm going to.