Michigan Votes Forum

Senators Whitmer, Cherry, Jacobs, Clark-Coleman, Anderson, Brater, Gleason, Basham, Scott and Hunter, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the passage of Senate Bill No. 831.

Senator Whitmer moved that the statement she made during the discussion of the bill be printed as her reason for voting “no.”

The motion prevailed.

Senator Whitmer’s statement, in which Senators Cherry, Jacobs, Clark-Coleman, Anderson, Brater, Gleason, Basham, Scott and Hunter concurred, is as follows:

I just wanted to rise to point out the fact that a continuation budget is generally a continuation of the current policy. Calling this a continuation budget is just calling something the wrong name. What this is actually is one-twelfth of the target agreement that the Republican Senate leadership has struck with the Democratic leadership in the House. This is not a continuation of the current public policy.

This is a vast departure of the current public policy. These are massive cuts to current public policy. This represents cuts in the Promise Grants. This represents slashes throughout the Department of Community Health. This represents huge changes in our public policy for public safety, for police, for fire, and for kids in our state. If you buy into this vote, why don’t you just pass the budget bills? Why don’t you just pass the bills and put it into effect?

Finish your work finish the budget for the people of the state of Michigan. If you have the votes to do this, one-twelfth of next years budget, do the whole budget. Stand up and finish your work. Don’t just do a twelfth; don’t just do it piecemeal. If you have the votes to do this awful cut, do your work for the whole year. Don’t call it a continuation budget because that is not what this is. This is a get-out-of-Dodge-free-card.

Rep. Miller, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:

“Mr. Speaker and members of the House:

This continuation budget further delays the tough decisions that need to be made. While I understand that contingency plans must be in place to arrange for the shutdown of government, an unfortunate but possible outcome on this the last day of the fiscal year, I believe this is the easy way out. It is said that in every crisis you must strive to find the opportunity and we must use this crisis to the best extent possible. That includes fixing the structural problem with a moderate approach combining a mixture of cuts, revenues, and reforms. This continuation budget represents an attempt to keep the pressure off, the very pressure I believe is necessary to achieve real solutions. That’s why I have to vote NO, even if only in protest.”

 It's too bad the citizens of Mi. don't pay more attention to what goes on in Lansing.  Our legislators are very well paid and have full time positions yet they can't settle the budget.  Clearly, many of them should be throw out of office.

 I totally agree with you, freedomforcerb.  We need "Statesmen/women" not lobbyist-lovers who ignore the circumstances that bloated government have placed the taxpayers under.  We also need part-time legislatures (they don't work full-time anyway).  Isn't it strange how many professed that they supported a part-time legislature when running for office, but changed their tune once they garnered their seat?

 inform4, We as citizens of this once great State of Michigan need to pass the message along to friends, family, and even strangers to get the point across. Our State and Country are heading in the wrong direction and WE THE PEOPLE need to stand up to right it! If enough of us voters send a clear message at the polls by voting out all incumbents maybe just maybe our newly elected Representatives will heed the message of the people and give us the representation we elected them to do, not what the special interest and lobbyist want.