Last Night's NO Vote on RTW



I’m sorry to be addressing this a day late. I got home very late yesterday, without telling you about yesterday’s vote on Right to Work legislation in the Michigan House. The bill passed, of course, 58-52!

After careful consideration and having heard from so many people in the 94th House District, I voted NO this legislation. It is very clear that this is an issue that drives a lot of passionate debate. I think I have a pretty good sense of the district after twenty years in elected office.

I have to tell you, this is the most highly disruptive vote that we could have tackled in Lansing. I’ve warned of this day, and have voted against RTW twice, when I was in the minority party.

I owned a business for 15 years and raised my family here in Saginaw County. I know that we’re different than other parts of the great State of Michigan. I recognize that many people will be upset with my position, but this was not a rash decision made in political haste.

For the record; I’ve butted heads with area unions many, many times over the years; both as a business owner and as an elected official; but, frankly, I don’t see them as an enemy.

In fact, from my perspective, new problems that will be created and unintended consequences may likely outweigh this one solution. Make no mistake; this is purely a philosophical argument that is taking place, which states that someone can opt out of paying dues when they work in a union shop. I’m deeply concerned that the dissension that we feel in Lansing may find its way to the shop floor, which is not productive for any Michigan manufacturer.

In addition, there are certain bargaining-unit exemptions; namely for police and fire unions. While I support the carve outs, I expect to see some federal district court take a hand in sorting out this legislation. The courts have already overturned two labor-related laws this year.

The bottom line is that this piece of legislation, while it might be part of an economic solution for Michigan, by itself, will not be the panacea to solve all of the economic failures that Michigan has experienced.

Saginaw’s labor history and its partnerships have been engrained into the Saginaw area culture for many decades. Today, the Great Lakes Bay Region enjoys a certain amount of solid economic growth, and solid capital investment. The summer of last year, Nexteer announced a $125 million dollar investment on the same day that G.M. Metal Casting announced $225 million. Both projects could have gone anywhere in the world, literally. They came here, in part, because of a solid partnership between the plants and its workers. And, there are plenty more great stories out there.

Believe it or not, the number one problem of the manufacturers, in this area, is finding skilled workers.

Back in Lansing, they still need to tackle many issues to truly keep Michigan moving forward. For instance, states that have no personal income tax have created almost 90% more jobs than states like Michigan. This term, we reviewed some 87,000 rules and regulations that guide and often suppress the economy of Michigan. Our energy rates are still the highest in the Midwest region, but we’re making progress. We’re trying to rebuild our roads and bridges.

We’re headed in the right direction in Michigan, but these are issues that we simply can’t solve without working together. Last night, after the vote on RTW, the City of Saginaw may have lost a chance at a $6.1 million dollar riverfront investment. Maybe it’s a just a small price to pay, in the big scheme of things, but a clear indication of a newly energized partisanship that worries me to no end. We now face the ugly sort of politics that the people of Michigan have already grown dreadfully tired of, and you deserve better.

I have consistently said that when we in Lansing fix all the structural problems of Michigan; such as taxes, regulations, energy, transportation, healthcare, pension legacy costs, public safety and education (all the things that we have control over), AND unions are still considered a problem to Michigan’s competitiveness, well... then I’d have to take a serious look at RTW, to overcome that roadblock.

As, I’ve said before: a 50% solution to the right problem is better than a 90% solution to the wrong problem. It’s been my goal to try to always fix the problem that’s right in front of me.

Having said all of that; our form of government is established to give the people of our community a voice in the House of Representatives and Senate. As I finish my final term in office and return to civilian life, I know that I will not always agree with my senators and representatives. As, most likely, neither do you. But... I must respect that democracy will succeed, even when I don’t agree with the result of any given vote.