When Government Makes Good Things Happen

Before we all go off and celebrate, there's one final thing to add to the list.

The passing of House Bill 5046, the Restroom Access Bill. Otherwise known as the Bathroom Bill, the bill provides access to bathrooms in retail spaces, providing certain measures can be met by the establishment, to those of us with medical conditions.

The LSJ's John Schneider did a piece this morning about it here. I'd like to thank John personally for his advocacy on the issue.

A Christmas gift to those who gotta go when they gotta go ...

There were plenty of things state legislators should have done, but didn't do, in last week's lame-duck session.

But, in the words of Julielyn Gibbons - a Lansing woman who suffers from Crohn's disease - senators exhibited remarkable "common sense" in passing House Bill 5046, the restroom access bill.

In the wee hours of Friday morning, the bill was pronounced dead. According to Gibbons, a champion of the measure, it was resuscitated around 9 a.m.

Megan Brown, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said Monday the governor intends to sign the bill into law.

And thus compassion and decency - as it applies to this one aspect of human existence, anyway - will be the law of the land.

Introduced as a bill by State Rep. Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale), the law will require retail establishments with employees only bathrooms to open them to people with illnesses that necessitate immediate access to toilets.

Those folks will carry written proof from their doctors, and present it in emergencies.

The law, which also protects retailers from liability, will take effect in 90 days.

It's meant to help people with Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, pregnant women, etc.

Said Gibbons: "I think it's a real victory for those of us with medical conditions that kept us at home. It's another step forward for civil rights."

Last month I wrote about a woman with diabetes who suffered a humiliating accident after a clerk at Williams-Sonoma at the Eastwood Towne Center refused to let the woman use the store's bathroom.

A big thanks also to all of you who called and emailed on behalf of the issue, and to the Lansing-based Rossman Group, for their pro-bono work on the effort.

This is why those of us in politics keep doing what we do, because every so often, something good happens as a result.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Budget Deal Mutterings

So a deal's been reached, a very temporary deal at that, but one that will leave state employees with their jobs in tact, and won't touch schools, Medicaid, and state trooper jobs.

Good news, right?

Not quite. You can check out the full scoop over at MichLib, but I'm still feeling pretty uneasy.

If I truly believed that we could trust the Republicans in the Senate, then I wouldn't have this queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Sometimes I really wonder whether or not some of our legislators get so consumed with the power that we've entrusted in them, that they liken the state's budget to a really long, drawn out game of Monopoly.

Admitting this really pains me. I love politics, and the entire concept of a government for the people, by the people. I make the fatal flaw of always assuming the right people are involved in the government for the right reasons, and it's times like these that I end up burning myself. What I really find out is that sometimes its the Right people for the Wrong Reasons.

I don't expect everyone to have the same political thoughts and ideology as I do, let's face it, that's not how reality works, and frankly, it'd probably be kind of boring.

What I do expect for our government is to be fighting for everyone, black, white, rich, poor, men, women, gay, straight, young, old. After all, isn't that the whole idea behind a democratic society?

Protecting Our Wallets: My Podcast w/ Sen. Buzz Thomas

Senate Democratic Floor Leader Buzz Thomas (Detroit) was kind enough to sit down with me at the beautiful Cornerstone Coffee in Lansing and discuss the most recent bill he's introduced.



Senate Bill 446, protecting citizens from predatory Refund Anticipation Loans that can suck your wallet dry. As Buzz explains, these loans aren't bad, but Michigan's citizens deserve better protection against some of the fraud that can accompany these loans.

To support this excellent legislation, contact your senator and ask them to vote for Senate Bill 446. Many thanks to Sen. Thomas and his tireless work on behalf of promoting Financial Literacy in Michigan.

Full Disclosure: I'm very proud that my own mother is Chair of the Michigan Jump$tart Coalition, a conglomerate of more than 30 organizations across the state dedicated to increasing Financial Literacy. She's the reason I was down in Detroit for Money Smart Week, sponsored by the Chicago Federal Reserve last month. Thanks, Mom!

Just Full of the Dickens

Sometimes I find that the snark bug bites me early in the morning.

Today is no exception.

If you get a chance to stop by MichiganLiberal this morning, be sure to check out my Fantasy Blogger Baseball - Michigan Senate Style.

Why?

I think it's safe to say like every other politico and Michigan citizen, I've had it up to here with this budget two-step that's going on in Lansing. The Senate Republicans can't pull their heads out of the sand, or away from their tube of hair gel - if they're a particular Senate Republican, and it's like watching a bad car wreck. All you can do is stand there and watch this tragedy unfold. Rumors from the capital have frustrated politicians walking around muttering to themselves they are so besides themselves, and who can blame them?

So, my snark meter hits yet another all-time high. Call this a way of dealing with extreme frustration. Some people walk around muttering to themselves, I write snarky commentary. Could be worse I guess.

But in some good news, check out this front-page article from the Lansing State Journal about how local area teens are putting together the very first Gay Prom next month. My heart literally swells with pride when I hear of these young people who are marching forward, despite their state passing two state-wide ballot proposals encouraging hate and intolerance. A special moment of pride to Governor Granholm and U.S. Senator Carl Levin for publicly congratulating them on their hard work. Today's progressive leaders supporting tomorrow's societal leaders, if that doesn't just warm the heart, I don't know what is.

I was all prepared to write what a well-attended event Tuesday's Domestic Partner Benefits March, albeit a sobering one, but with the news from our up-and-coming LGBT community, I'm just going to let it rest at that.

I'll be staying in LucyLand this weekend, continuing with the unpacking of boxes and healing the sinuses that have been continuing to plague me. With a little help from my friends, and apologies to the Beatles, I know I'll still have a great weekend, and won't break the bank buying gas.

Here's hoping your weekend is a fun-filled time, that even our forecasted storms can't dampen!

Senate Dem Leadership Hits the (YouTube) Airwaves

As a result of recent Meet Ups between the State Senate Democratic Leadership and Michigan's Net-Roots community, two of Michigan's senators have taken to the new-fangled concept of broadcasting video pod-casts. (Think video that you can watch on your iPod, if you have one.) Many thanks to both Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer and Democratic Floor Leader Buzz Thomas.

Meet Your Ineffective Senate Republican Leadership

When kids whine, it's annoying.

When adults do it, it's ten times worse.

When elected officials do it because they aren't doing their jobs, it's like nails on the chalkboard.

Check out what your Senate Republican Leadership is whining about now over on Michigan Liberal.

A New Year, A New Michigan, A New You - The State Senate

It's a new year, a New Michigan, and time for a New You to get involved in your government. We need to continue to keep Michigan Great! (Many thanks to those who helped make this piece possible, despite the difficulty I ran into before)

The Michigan State Senate, the other half of the Legislative Branch of Michigan's government. Compared to the House's 110 districts, the Senate only has 38 districts, each representing approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents. State Senators serve 4 year terms, compared to the House's 2 year terms.

The Democrats may not have won the Senate, but you can still count on Minority Leader Mark Schauer to keep our interests well represented. Known for his ability to reach across the aisle while still keeping strong to the Democratic Agenda, Michigan's citizens can have complete faith in his abilities.

Speaking of working hard, today the Senate is back to work. You can view the session schedule and if you're so inspired, you can watch the Health Policy Committee starting this morning at 10am.

Find your senator according to the district map or look them up on the Senate Directory. You never know, you may find that your senator serves in the Leadership!

Each senator serves on several committees. Senate Leadership appoints senators to either standing committees, appropriations sub-committees, or both.

One of the unique privileges of serving in the Senate includes the power to Advise and Consent.

The Michigan Constitution grants the State Senate the power to reject various gubernatorial appointments. The Senate Government Operations Reform Committee is the committee that makes recommendations to the full senate on whether to confirm or deny any given appointment.

You can view appointee questionnaires and their answers for some of the major offices like State Treasurer and the Department of State Police.

Like the House, the Senate helps decide how to divide up the State Budget, and they couldn't do it without the Senate Fiscal Agency. The SFA provides unbiased assistance in the matters of fiscal and legislative analysis.

Each senator is provided with assistance with press and outreach through either the Republican or Democratic Caucus, depending on their affiliation.

The Senate website is full of interactive trivia and games for the entire family. Click on Kids Page on the website (link not provided), and you can explore the Art of the Senate, print out pages to color, brush up on your trivia, or play puzzles and games.

Come back tomorrow as we delve into the third branch of Michigan's government, The Judicial Branch.

Why is Our State Senate Website Inaccessible?

I'd love to continue my series on A New Year, A New Michigan, A New You by focusing on the State Senate, but if only the Senate website would let me do it.

Unfortunately, the way that the Senate website is set up is not user-friendly. Navigating in and around the website is difficult. The way that the Senate website is set up, you cannot click on the different features and have a separate address (link) for each feature. Most of the features that are provided by the website are featured on the top, and include info about the Senate, committee information, Senate rules, employment, legislative links, Senate TV, and the kids page.

It wouldn't be noticeable to most people, because it all looks the same as you navigate within the site. Because linking directly to specific pages within the website is impossible for people like you and I, it's even more difficult for those with disabilities. According to a source within the Commission for the Blind, a blind person using a text reader would definitely not be able to link directly to a page within the Senate website.

Being a health and disability advocate for many years, I have a serious problem with this. Two things should be inherent within our government - transparency and accessibility. The two go hand-in-hand, and without one, you cannot have the other.

Not to be one to just ring and run, I called the Senate and after pointing out the inaccessibility, I asked when they thought it might be fixed. I was told that they are aware of the problem, but that there is no immediate time line and the hope is for it to be fixed by June.

I'm glad that they are aware of the problem, but is June really soon enough?

If you're interested in addressing this problem, you can contact your senator, or you can call the Senate directly and ask them to prioritize this project. Their number is 517.373.2400.

New Democractic Leadership Reaches Out to Bloggers

Welcome to 2007! A year of change, a year of a new majority, and a year to continue to make Michigan great! It's encouraging to see that Michigan's Democratic leadership is reaching out for our assistance in shaping that future.

Come join Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, Majority Floor Leader Steve Tobocman, and Representative Barb Byrum as they meet with folks like you from the Michigan progressive/liberal/democratic blogosphere on

Friday, Febuary 16th
6pm - 7pm
Livingston County Democratic Party Office
10321 E. Grand River Suite 600
Brighton, MI. 48116

Of course, far be it from the folks in the Senate to miss out. Many thanks to Minority Leader Mark Schauer for offering to meet up

Wednesday, Febuary 21st
7pm - 8:30pm
Lansing Off-Site Office
3230 S. Pennslyvania
Lansing, MI 48910***
(Please RSVP for this event)

If you live in the Lansing area, (either the 67th, 68th, or 69th House Districts, or in Senate District 23), then Reps. Barb Byrum, Joan Bauer, Mark Meadows and Senator Gretchen Whitmer ask you that you join them

Thursday Febuary 8th
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Beaner's
3499 E. Lake Lansing Rd.
East Lansing, MI 48823

Of course, don't forget to attend the Michigan Democratic Party State Convention with Blogger's Caucus 2.0 on

Saturday Febuary 24th
10 am - 12pm
Cobo Hall
Detroit, MI

Many thanks to the above-mentioned legislators for reaching out to all of us.

For questions, concerns, or to schedule a Bloggers Meet-Up in your area, contact me.