Interview With New House Education Committee Chairman, State Rep. Tom McMillin
"We won't be bullied...we're pushing ahead"
On Nov. 8, Michigan House Education Committee Chair Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, became the first Michigan lawmaker in 28 years to be successfully recalled from office. The recall effort was bankrolled and coordinated by the Michigan Education Association, which is the state's largest teacher union.
The election result was decided by fewer than 200 votes. In the month prior to Election Day the courts called the recall election off for a week; then switched gears and ordered that it go forward.
Arguments over what the recall meant, if it meant anything at all, will likely go on for years. However, for Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, the outcome resulted in a new role. House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall, picked Rep. McMillin to replace Scott as chairman of the House Education Committee.
Rep. McMillin was interviewed about his new post via telephone on Thursday. The following are excerpts from that interview.
Q. Is the fact that Rep. Paul Scott was recalled going to affect the House Education Committee agenda?
A. “It really won't change anything; other than the fact that I'll be the Chair instead of Paul, of course. We're still going to be pushing ahead with our efforts to make sure education in Michigan focuses on what's best for the kids. We're still going to be moving forward on issues like charter schools and cyber schools and addressing failing schools.
“Our focus will be on the kids. It's no longer going to be about doing things to satisfy the adults first. It won't be all about the unions and so forth, the way is was when the Democrats were in the majority."
Q. How would you describe the House Republican Caucus reaction to the recall?
A. “If possible, we're even more determined than ever not to be bullied. The recall involved a lot of circumstances. A lot of money was spent by both sides. It was a very close vote and other issues besides education were involved. It was definitely not a mandate for the liberals' side of the education debate.
“In fact, the Scott recall actually started out over teacher tenure. The recallers couldn't make that work, so they ended up doing it the way they did.” (Over the alleged K-12 cuts and the pension tax.)
“I don't believe it was the right thing for the MEA to do for its constituents. I don't think the teachers will benefit from it. It's like Speaker Jase Bolger's office has been saying: We're not going to be reckless or vengeful, honestly, we're not interested in going in those directions. But we're also not going to be bullied. We are going to keep moving forward with education reforms.”
Q. Do you think you're going to be able to work with the MEA?
A. “Well, I'm not going to kick them out of my office. But I don't know how the MEA can come back and try to lobby for their constituents. Our caucus did include some members who had some sympathy for some of their (MEA's) positions. But I don't know if that's the case anymore.
“The MEA was openly hostile to us. I mean . . . the way they launched into those attacks . . . It was like a huge, well-oiled bullying effort. I thought it would backfire then and I still think it will backfire. So, can they come back and effectively work with the Legislature? I really just don't know the answer to that. This has never happened before, so this is a case where we're really sailing in uncharted waters.”
Q. The House passed the teacher dues bill and the release-time bill. However, those bills have yet to be passed by the Senate. Are you worried about the future of those bills?
(Readers note: House Bill 4929, the teacher dues bill, would ban the practice of union dues being automatically deducted from teacher paychecks. House Bill 4059, the release time bill, would ban putting union stewards on a public payroll.)
A. “Those bills are both currently in the committee chaired by Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Grand Rapids. I am more than a little bit involved with both of those bills. I think the Senate is 'there' (in a supportive position) on these bills. It's just that the Senate sort of has it's own timing on things.”
Q. Is there anything new you have planned for the education committee?
A. “I'm looking at potentially creating subcommittees to take a thorough look at education mandates. This is something I was thinking about pursuing even before I was named committee chairman. If we could find ways of eliminating some of these mandates it could lift some burdens off of teachers and let them concentrate on the job of teaching.”
Q. Do you anticipate working with the Democrats on anything?
A. “Yes, there are areas where we can agree. In fact, I just had a press conference with Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, on repealing the 'peace bond.' We have legislation to repeal a bad state law that allows judges to suspend a person's right of free speech by imposing what they call a 'peace bond' on them.
“Our legislation on this is supported by both the Thomas More Law Center and the ACLU.
“Also, there are members of the House Education Committee, such as Rep. David Rutledge, D-Ypsilanti, and Rep. Rudy Hobbs, D-Lathrup Village, who definitely share our concerns about failing school districts and have shown a willingness to work with us.”
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
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Nov. 18 MichiganVotes.org Weekly Roll Call Report
MichiganVotes.org sends a weekly report to newspapers and TV stations around the state showing how state legislators in their service area voted on the most important or interesting bills of the past week.
The House and Senate are in the midst of a two-week break, so rather than votes this report instead contains several newly introduced bills of interest.
Senate Bill 590;and House Bill 4898: Mandate employer grant leave for parent school events
Introduced by Sen. John Gleason (D) and Rep. Jim Ananich (D), respectively, to mandate that employers must grant an employee up to eight hours of unpaid leave per child, per academic year to attend academic activities. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
Senate Bill 603: Ban sale of certain window blinds
Introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall (R), to prohibit the sale of window blinds that do not include cleats, hardware, instructions for installation, and a warning about the danger of accidental hanging or strangulation from a window blind cord that is not secured. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
Senate Bill 606: Ban requiring job applicants to be employed
Introduced by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D), to prohibit posting help wanted ads that require job candidates to be currently employed, subject to fines on job providers of up to $10,000. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
Senate Bill 612: Ban abortion coverage in state "Obamacare“ exchange
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R), to prohibit any state “insurance exchange” created under the federal health care law from including coverage for abortion except through the purchase of optional rider. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
Senate Bill 638 and House Bill 4906: Establish English as official state language
Introduced by Sen. Roger Kahn (R) and Rep. Kenneth Kurtz (R), respectively, to establish English as the official state language. This would apply to governmental communications, but not the private sector. It would establish that state agencies and local governments are not required to provide documents, public written materials, or website content in any language other than English, but would not prohibit them from doing so for specified purposes. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
House Bill 4896: Restrict hazardous waste deep injection wells
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R), to prohibit a multisource commercial hazardous waste disposal well (such as a controversial deep well injection facility in Romulus) from being located where more than 100,000 people live within a 10 mile radius. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
House Bill 4919: Impose plastic shopping bag tax
Introduced by Rep. Douglas Geiss (D), to impose a tax of one-cent per bag on plastic grocery and shopping bags, with some exceptions. Retailers would be subject to related record keeping and reporting mandates. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
House Bill 4927: Increase deer bait ban penalties
Introduced by Rep. Rick Olson (R), to authorize up to 90 days in jail and fines of $500 to $2,000 for using bait to hunt for deer in violation of a state order prohibiting this. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
House Bill 4980: Close state university tuition restraint loopholes
Introduced by Rep. Robert Genetski (R), to close a loophole exploited by universities in the language of the 2011-2012 state budget provision that reduces appropriations for schools who raise tuition by more than 7.1 percent. The bill also would cut 2011-2012 appropriations by $31 million (the amount of extra revenue two universities will get because of the loophole). Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
House Bill 4983: Defund GOP presidential primary
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, Jr. (D), to cut $10 million appropriated to pay for a 2012 state Republican presidential primary. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
House Bill 4985: Authorize “mobile barbershops”
Introduced by Rep. Fred Durhal, Jr. (D), to revise the law that prohibits a person from earning a living as a barber unless he or she gets a state license, so that it would explicitly allow a barber to operate a “mobile barbershop” in a vehicle or RV, if he or she gets permission from the state. Under current law, barbering is illegal without a license, and new barber can’t get a license unless he or she completes a 2,000-hour course at a licensed barber college, and meets other requirements imposed by a board of existing barbers. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.
SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, nonpartisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, nonpartisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit https://www.michiganvotes.org.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.