Lansing Update: January 26, 2007

In this issue of Lansing Update:

1. House Committee Assignments Finalized
2. Senate Committee Listing
3. Senate Panel Receives Update on State Health Care Plan

House Committee Assignments Finalized

Speaker of the House Andy Dillon (D-Redford) this week announced full committee appointments that will help shape legislative matters through the 2007–2008 legislative session. The announcement follows the Speaker’s decision to alter several committees from last session (see Jan. 12 Lansing Update), and includes the controversial choice of State Representative George Cushingberry (D-Detroit) as head of the powerful appropriations committee. Representative Cushingberry is facing a trial on felony perjury charges and a misdemeanor charge of failing to file two or more campaign finance statements stemming from the 2004 election.

Democrat and Republican committee chairs and members for the 07–08 session are as follows:

• Agriculture (Democrat 7/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Mayes, Vice Chair Byrum, Angerer, Brown, Law, K., Leland, Sheltrown
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Walker, Ball, Meekhof, Nitz
• Appropriations (Democrat 18/Republican 12)
  • Democrat: Chair Cushingberry, Vice Chair Gillard, Bauer, Bennett, Byrnes, Cheeks, Espinoza, Gonzales, Hammel, Hood, Jackson, Lahti, Leblanc, Mcdowell, Sak, Smith, A., Spade, Vagnozzi
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Acciavatti, Agema, Amos, Booher, Brandenburg, Caswell, Caul, Hansen, Moss, Nofs, Proos, Shaffer
• Banking and Financial Services (Democrat 5/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Coulouris, Vice Chair Johnson, Clemente, Mayes, Smith, V.
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Moore, Calley, Green, Robertson
• Commerce (Democrat 12/Republican 7)
  • Democrat: Chair Meisner, Vice Chair Jones, Robert, Accavitti, Byrum, Clemente, Coulouris, Dean, Griffin, Johnson, Sheltrown, Simpson, Valentine
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Hildenbrand, Huizenga, Jones, Rick, Knollenberg, Meltzer, Palsrok, Stakoe
• Education (Democrat 14/Republican 9)
  • Democrat: Chair Melton, Vice Chair Valentine, Angerer, Brown, Byrum, Clack, Corriveau, Dean, Hopgood, Lindberg, Meisner, Miller, Polidori, Scott
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Moolenaar, Emmons, Hildenbrand, Hoogendyk, Knollenberg, Opsommer, Pearce, Schuitmaker, Steil
• Energy and Technology (Democrat 12/Republican 7)
  • Democrat: Chair Accavitti, Vice Chair Mayes, Angerer, Clemente, Ebli, Hammon, Hopgood, Lindberg, Melton, Miller, 2 Vacancies
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Nofs, Garfield, Horn, Huizenga, Moolenaar, Opsommer, Palsrok
• Ethics and Elections (Democrat 5/Republican 3)
  • Democrat: Chair Corriveau, Vice Chair Clemente, Bieda, Donigan, Hammon
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Pearce, Ward, Wenke
• Families and Human Services (Democrat 5/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Clack, Vice Chair Dean, Accavitti, Hammon, Wojno
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Sheen, Hoogendyk, Palmer, Stahl
• Government Operations (Democrat 6/Republican 3)
  • Democrat: Chair Wojno, Vice Chair Law, K., Condino, Constan, Polidori, Young
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Hoogendyk, Hune, Law, D.
• Great Lakes and Environment (Democrat 9/Republican 6)
  • Democrat: Chair Warren, Vice Chair Donigan, Ebli, Griffin, Law, K., Leland, Meadows, Miller, Valentine
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Robertson, Emmons, Meekhof, Moolenaar, Palmer, Walker
• Health Policy (Democrat 11/Republican 7)
  • Democrat: Chair Angerer, Vice Chair Simpson, Byrum, Clack, Corriveau, Donigan, Hammon, Jones, Robert, Valentine, Wojno, Vacancy
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Gaffney, Ball, Calley, Green, Hune, Marleau, Ward
• Insurance (Democrat 10/Republican 7)
  • Democrat: Chair Smith, V., Vice Chair Farrah, Condino, Constan, Johnson, Polidori, Scott, Simpson, Wojno, Vacancy
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Hune, Emmons, Hildenbrand, Law, D., Moore, Robertson, Rocca
• Intergovernmental, Urban and Regional Affairs (Democrat 7/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Byrum, Vice Chair Young, Coulouris, Farrah, Griffin, Johnson, Meadows
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Pavlov, Meekhof, Nitz, Opsommer
• Judiciary (Democrat 9/Republican 6)
  • Democrat: Chair Condino, Vice Chair Coulouris, Bieda, Corriveau, Meadows, Meisner, Scott, Smith, V., Warren
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Schuitmaker, Elsenheimer, Jones, Rick, Law, D., Rocca, Stakoe
• Labor (Democrat 7/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Miller, Vice Chair Meadows, Bieda, Constan, Farrah, Hopgood, Lindberg
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Wenke, Jones, Rick, Lajoy, Steil
• Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security (Democrat 5/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Polidori, Vice Chair Brown, Dean, Lemmons, Sheltrown
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Emmons, Garfield, Horn, Pastor
• New Economy and Quality Of Life (Democrat 7/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Clemente, Vice Chair Leland, Clack, Meisner, Melton, 2 Vacancies
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Huizenga, Garfield, Hildenbrand, Pastor
• Oversight and Investigations (Democrat 3/Republican 2)
  • Democrat: Chair Tobocman, Vice Chair Condino, Hood
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Jones, Rick, Horn
• Regulatory Reform (Democrat 5/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Farrah, Vice Chair Scott, Meadows, Smith, V., Wojno
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Marleau, Gaffney, Palsrok, Ward
• Senior Health, Security and Retirement (Democrat 5/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Jones, Robert, Vice Chair Constan, Hopgood, Lemmons, Warren
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Ball, Green, Sheen, Stahl
• Tax Policy (Democrat 10/Republican 7)
  • Democrat: Chair Bieda, Vice Chair Condino, Farrah, Jones, Robert, Mayes, Meisner, Melton, Sheltrown, Warren, Young
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Meltzer, Calley, Palmer, Pastor, Sheen, Steil, Wenke
• Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources (Democrat 7/Republican 4)
  • Democrat: Chair Sheltrown, Vice Chair Ebli, Brown, Hammon, Law, K., Lindberg, Simpson
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Casperson, Horn, Stakoe, Walker
• Transportation (Democrat 10/Republican 7)
  • Democrat: Chair Hopgood, Vice Chair Griffin, Accavitti, Bieda, Donigan, Ebli, Leland, Mayes, Miller, Young
  • Republican: Minority Vice Chair Lajoy, Casperson, Knollenberg, Nitz, Pavlov, Pearce, Stahl

Senate Committee Listing

• Agriculture (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair VanWoerkom, Vice Chair Gilbert, Birkholz
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Gleason, Whitmer
• Appropriations (Republican 11/Democrat 7)
  • Republican: Chair Jelinek, Vice Chair Pappageorge, Brown, Cropsey, Garcia, George, Hardiman, Jansen, Kahn, McManus, Stamas
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Switalski, Anderson, Barcia, Brater, Cherry, Clark-Coleman, Scott
• Banking and Financial Institutions (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Richardville, Vice Chair Sanborn, Cassis, Stamas
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Hunter, Clarke, Olshove
• Campaign and Election Oversight (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Mcmanus, Vice Chair Brown, Jansen
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Jacobs, Schauer
• Commerce and Tourism (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Allen, Vice Chair Gilbert, Stamas
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Clarke, Hunter
• Economic Development and Regulatory Reform (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Sanborn, Vice Chair Richardville, Allen, Gilbert
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Thomas, Hunter, Jacobs
• Education (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Kuipers, Vice Chair Vanwoerkom, Cassis
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Whitmer, Gleason
• Energy Policy (Republican 5/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Patterson, Vice Chair Brown, Birkholz, Kuipers, Richardville
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Olshove, Prusi, Thomas
• Families and Human Services (Republican 2/Democrat 1)
  • Republican: Chair Jansen, Vice Chair Hardiman
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Jacobs
• Finance (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Cassis, Vice Chair Gilbert, Jansen, Mcmanus
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Prusi, Jacobs, Whitmer
• Fiscal Agency Governing Board (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Bishop, Jelinek, Pappageorge
  • Democrat: Schauer, Switalski
• Government Operations and Reform (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Bishop, Vice Chair Patterson, Cassis, Kuipers
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Schauer, Clarke, Olshove
• Health Policy (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair George, Vice Chair Patterson, Allen, Sanborn
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Clarke, Gleason, Jacobs
• Homeland Security and Emerging Technologies (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Brown, Vice Chair Garcia, Pappageorge, Richardville
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Hunter, Olshove, Thomas
• Judiciary (Republican 4/Democrat 3)
  • Republican: Chair Kuipers, Vice Chair Cropsey, Patterson, Sanborn
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Whitmer, Clarke, Prusi
• Local, Urban and State Affairs (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Vanwoerkom, Vice Chair Birkholz, Allen
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Gleason, Basham
• Natural Resources/Environmental Affairs (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Birkholz, Vice Chair Vanwoerkom, Patterson
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Basham, Prusi
• Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Allen, Vice Chair Pappageorge, Garcia
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Olshove, Basham
• Transportation (Republican 3/Democrat 2)
  • Republican: Chair Gilbert, Vice Chair Kahn, Vanwoerkom
  • Democrat: Minority Vice Chair Basham, Gleason

Senate Panel Receives Update on State Health Care Plan

While awaiting a federal waiver critical to its implementation, the director of the Department of Community Health (DCH) this week testified before the Senate Health Policy Committee that it is moving forward with plans to provide coverage to those Michigan residents who lack health care.

DCH director Janet Olszewski updated members during the committee hearing regarding the status of the Michigan First Health Care plan [Link no longer available —Ed.], which was announced by Governor Granholm last year during the annual State of the State Address. The goal of the program is to offer health care services to those 550,000 Michigan residents, mostly the poor and vulnerable, who lack coverage.

Persons targeted by the plan are in households with up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Under the plan individuals could receive emergency room care, hospital and mental health care, prescription drugs and preventative and primary care. Different plans could offer different coverage, Ms. Olszewski said. The plan is also aimed at small businesses that want to provide some health care for employees.

The department anticipates the monthly premium would be below $200 per individual, and those below 100 percent of the poverty level would be responsible for co-pays. Those between 100 and 200 percent of the poverty level would make premium payments and co-payments.

The administration on December 20 met with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt to discuss the waiver that is needed to allocate federal dollars for the state’s proposed plan.