Michigan Senate Republicans lay out 90-day agenda

LANSING — In the first 90 days of the 2015 legislative year, the state Senate will focus on issues of job creation, efficiency and transparency in government, improving achievement in Michigan schools and managing the state's natural resources more effectively.

In a briefing with reporters Tuesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, laid out a short-term agenda that won't dwell on the more controversial issues that have surfaced in the early weeks of this Legislature.

"We have a super, super majority of 27 members," said Meekhof, who is leading a Senate caucus of 27 members, compared to the 11-member Democratic caucus. "We believe in common sense. And that's not all that common in government. We just want to do what makes the most sense for the taxpayer."

Among the Senate GOP's priorities over the next 90 days:

■ Improving education with a push for reading proficiency by the third grade, reforming teacher evaluations and implementing a letter-grading system for all schools to increase accountability and transparency for parents.

■ A focus on skilled trades and workforce development. as well as looking at ways to increase employment in the mining and forestry industries. The repeal of prevailing wage laws, which require union-scale wages on publicly financed construction jobs, is still a priority, but probably won't happen in the first 90 days, Meekhof said.

■ Streamlining the permit renewal process through the Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality. If a permit holder, such as at a marina, has had no issues in the first years of his permit, legislation would allow the permit to automatically be renewed. Meekhof also said the Senate would like to work on land management practices used in the state. Toward that end, Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, has already introduced legislation that would modify how the state distributes money from the Natural Resources Trust Fund, which is fueled by oil and gas royalties paid to the state and used for the purchase and development of land for recreational purposes.

■ Tax relief, in the form of a reduction in the state's income tax and a repeal of the pension tax, will wait until the state's budget picture, which is projected to have a $325 million hole, becomes more clear, Meekhof said.

Bills that will move rapidly through the Senate, include more funding to deal with a backlog of untested rape kits and a rewritten gun bill that Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed because of language that could have allowed some people who have personal protection orders against them to obtain a concealed weapons permit.

The gun bill "is coming through pretty rapidly," Meekhof said. "Getting a permit with a personal protection order, that would be really rare and weird experience. We don't necessarily agree with the governor on that."

Democrats have said their ready and willing to work on issues where common ground is found.

"My caucus will work with anyone when they're putting people before ideology," said Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint. "Democrats are focusing on issues that will empower people as opposed to find ways to punish them."

Contact Kathleen Gray at 517-372-8661, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.