No time for campaign reform, plenty of time to make sure those poor kids get tossed off of assistance. Need to free up that money so the people throwing the lavish Christmas parties for lawmakers get their well-deserved tax breaks, right?
LANSING -- Welfare recipients would be limited to four years of cash benefits during their lifetimes unless they're deemed unemployable under legislation approved overnight as the lawmakers wrapped up their lame-duck session with a furious day of bill-passing.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said she would sign the bills, which provide for exceptions to the welfare cutoff. She vetoed similar legislation earlier this year, saying it did not allow exceptions for people who could not work because of disabilities or illnesses.
Republicans have for two years sought a strict time limit on welfare benefits, which they said would encourage people to find work and break the cycle of dependency on state assistance.
And if there is anyone who knows about the cycle of dependency on state assistance, it's the Republicans.
Like I have said before, I believe we were facing federal penalties on this- so maybe it was something that needed to be done. I really don't feel like looking it up again. Jerry Kooiman, who was disappointed that this compromise wasn't "tough enough", now has his legacy. Kooiman recently said he wouldn't run for the part time job of mayor of GR at 39 grand a year (after all, his last part-time job paid $92,000), thought that giving a poor parent with two kids a whooping $459 or so a month was excessive. What a guy.
Bye, bye, Jerry- I won't miss you a bit.
They did manage to wrap up some other things before they hit the bar, according to Christoff mostly "pet projects" of those who soon will be joining the lobbying circuit. Among the highlights-
FILM INDUSTRY CREDITS: A bill designed to bring more film industry business to Michigan is headed to Granholm after getting final approval by a unanimous vote in the House. The legislation would offer tax credits to film companies that spend at least $200,000 in Michigan, provided they meet other registration conditions.
WIND POWER: A bill that would offer a tax credit for harnessing wind energy overwhelmingly passed the House and is headed to Granholm's desk. The legislation would provide a tax credit of 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy generated for a taxpayer who owns a windmill or wind turbine, with no taxpayer receiving a credit of more than $750,000 per year.
CORD BANK INCENTIVES: The Legislature passed a bill that would provide a tax incentive for people who donate money to an umbilical cord blood stem cell bank. The House gave final approval by a 68-37 vote, sending the bill to Granholm.
Granholm does not support the legislation, spokeswoman Liz Boyd said.
People who donate money to the banks could get tax credits of no more than $100 for an individual or $200 for a joint return. Supporters say it could encourage development of cord and adult stem cell research, which could aid the treatment of a variety of illnesses.
The Legislature earlier had sent bills to Granholm designed to encourage the creation of a network of banks for umbilical cords and adult stem cells.
Granholm and some Democrats in the Legislature want to go further and loosen restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, which many scientists say has the most potential for medical breakthroughs. That led to some opposition to the bill that passed Thursday, along with concerns about the potential cost.
CAPITAL OUTLAY: The Legislature passed a bill to allow dozens of universities and community colleges to tap special state funding for building or renovation projects.
The capital outlay budget allows the schools to get money from the sale of state building authority bonds for a variety of projects.
And one that was shot down had the potential to save lives-
CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE: Legislation that would encourage girls entering the sixth grade to be vaccinated against cervical cancer died in the House.
This next part is a bit strange- it passed and then was reconsidered? Why?
I have a good idea.
The legislation - which would have been the first of its kind in the nation - first passed the House by a 58-45 vote. But after a motion was made to reconsider the vote, the bill didn't get enough support to pass.
The legislation had overwhelmingly passed the Senate.
As with other vaccines required for school children, parents could choose to not have their children immunized under the legislation. The House version would have required that parents get information about the vaccine and give permission for their children to receive it before they could be vaccinated.
Sounds like the religious conservatives got on the bat phone and put a stop to making sure young girls didn't get cancer. A death sentence is preferable to them, I guess.
But the measure could not gain enough support in the House because of concerns about the vaccine's possible long-term or unknown effects. Some opponents felt it infringed on a family's choice to decide which vaccines their children should receive, and still others questioned whether it would have sent a signal that underage sex is OK.
Newsflash: Underage kids are not taking their cues from you, legislators. And "families" had a choice on this vaccine.
No, I have a feeling that the Michigan Catholic Conference heard the word "sex" and decided to call in the dogs.
You are on your own, girls. Try not to die, OK?