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MAKING LEGISLATIVE & POLITICAL PROGRESS
Legislative Action
For 50 years, the Michigan Chamber has been a leader in business advocacy and
we remain committed to playing a constructive role in shaping our state’s
future. Improving the economic climate for job providers is not a simple task
but it is one we undertake with passion. The Chamber does not simply offer
solutions and fade away; rather, we actively and aggressively engage with policy
makers – elected and appointed – to develop public policy to move Michigan
forward.
Legislative action in 2008 can best be categorized as one of missed
opportunities by our elected leaders – opportunities to reduce burdensome taxes,
stop overspending and generally enact policies to improve Michigan’s economic
climate.
As we reflect on the battles of last session, we are pleased to have achieved
success in many areas that will help our members. In addition to passing
proactive measures to improve our tax and regulatory structures, we note some of
our biggest victories came by stopping ill-conceived legislation that would
severely harm job providers, such as: expansion of mandated insurance benefits,
a compulsory ergonomic standard and development of new causes of action for
personal injury lawyers. These are just a few examples of the fights we took on,
but they are indicative of our commitment to being member-driven and
policy-focused. We will always vigorously advocate principled positions and
strive to make a big difference on big issues.
Political Action
The Michigan Chamber has a long tradition of standing up for job providers in
our state, and the political process is no exception. The Michigan Chamber
Political Action Committee (PAC) is one of the most effective political action
programs in the nation. Ranked 30th among Michigan’s top 150 PACs, the Michigan
Chamber PAC is a leader and the voice of business, unafraid to take on the
powerful Michigan Education Association (MEA), United Auto Workers (UAW), the
AFL-CIO and personal injury lawyers. It is also one of the largest state chamber
PACs in the country.
Over the years, the Michigan Chamber PAC has successfully helped to change
Michigan politics.
Because it is clear that who wins elections does matter, we thoroughly
interview candidates from all political parties and make reasoned endorsements
so voters can feel confident when they step into the voting booth that they are
making an informed choice.
During the 2008 election cycle, the Michigan Chamber reviewed questionnaire
responses and personally interviewed 212 candidates for State House and endorsed
62 candidates for the State House in the general election. When the votes were
tallied in November, we are pleased to report that 46 of our endorsed candidates
(three of whom are Democrat) won and are now in Lansing working to tackle the
problems facing Michigan.
The Michigan Chamber’s political action does not stop on Election Day.
Immediately after the elections, we meet with new legislators one-on-one to
further educate them on the challenges facing the business community and what
the Chamber’s legislative priorities will be during the session. Once the
session starts, we track their votes on key business issues to ensure that
anyone who campaigned to help job providers lives up to their word. It is these
votes that we use to compile and publish our Legislative Voting Record: A
Competitiveness Scorecard for Michigan. This document forms the basis of
endorsements for incumbent candidates as well as a guide to the general
performance of legislators on issues important to Chamber members.
Looking back at the 2008 elections, we regret to report that Michigan Supreme
Court Justice Cliff Taylor, who we supported for re-election, was the victim of
unscrupulous and dishonest campaign tactics and was not returned to the bench.
Despite this outcome, the Michigan Chamber will continue to advocate for
judicial candidates who understand their role: to interpret the law, not
legislate from the bench.
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