Michigan Chamber Of Commerce Releases Legislative Voting Record, Announces Earned Endorsements For State House

LANSING, Mich., Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber of Commerce today released its 2011-2012 Legislative Voting Record – A Competitiveness Scorecard for Michigan. The purpose of this document is to provide the business community and other interested parties with a measure of how each member of the Michigan House voted on a wide range of key economic issues.

The 2011-2012 Legislative Voting Record includes roll call votes on important business climate issues such as: campaign finance, environment, health care, human resources, legal reform, and tax policy & budget. The voting record includes 23 roll call votes in the State House.

"The Michigan Chamber is member-driven and policy-focused in our approach to business advocacy," said Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. "This voting record shows how State House members voted on legislative priorities developed by Chamber members and approved by the Chamber's 84-member Board of Directors in January 2011."

"The good news is that 62 State House members walked the talk and came to Lansing and voted for legislation in support of jobs and the economy," added Studley. "Fourteen of these lawmakers went the extra mile to earn a perfect 100 percent score on the Chamber's 2011-2012 Voting Record."

"There were many important issues worked on this session that provided lawmakers with a clear choice between supporting employers versus bureaucrats or job providers versus organized labor," noted Jim Holcomb, Senior Vice President, Business Advocacy & General Counsel for the Michigan Chamber.

"While we are pleased to report that many lawmakers cast votes in support of job providers and our state's economic competitiveness, not every legislator has done as well in helping to move Michigan forward," Holcomb added. "The Michigan Chamber's 2011-2012 Legislative Voting Record reveals a stark difference between House and Senate leadership and their respective caucuses on key business climate issues, demonstrating once again that elections matter."

"Although the work done during the 2011-2012 legislative session resulted in several positive outcomes for Michigan jobs providers and taxpayers, more work remains to be done," Studley said. "The Michigan Chamber will remain vigilant in aggressively advocating on many fronts for the enactment of common sense policies that will improve our state's economic competitiveness and allow job providers to create more jobs.

"As part of our strategic plan, the Michigan Chamber will continue to provide leadership through political action, which includes holding lawmakers accountable for action or inaction on key issues," Studley concluded.

The Michigan Chamber's 2011-2012 Legislative Voting Record serves as the basis for campaign endorsements for incumbent legislators. Any incumbent legislator seeking re-election to the same office who scores 75 percent or better on the Chamber's Competitiveness Scorecard receives an earned endorsement. Any lawmaker who achieves a perfect score is recognized by the Michigan Chamber as a "Champion of Free Enterprise."

The following 53 State Representatives are seeking re-election and have received an earned endorsement from the Michigan Chamber: James Bolger (R – Marshall); Jon Bumstead (R – Newaygo); Mike Callton (R – Nashville); Kevin Cotter (R – Mt. Pleasant); Hugh Crawford (R – Novi); Kevin Daley (R – Lum); Cindy Denby (R – Fowlerville); Jeff Farrington (R – Utica); Anthony Forlini (R – Harrison Twp.); Frank Foster (R – Pellston); Ray Franz (R – Onekama); Robert Genetski (R – Saugatuck); Ben Glardon (R – Owosso); Ken Goike (R – Ray Township); Gail Haines (R – Waterford); Joseph Haveman (R – Holland); Kurt Heise (R – Plymouth); Thomas Hooker (R – Byron Center); Holly Hughes (R – Montague); Matt Huuki (R – Atlantic Mine); Bradford Jacobsen (R – Oxford); Nancy Jenkins (R – Clayton); Joel Johnson (R – Clare); Eileen Kowall (R – White Lake); Kenneth Kurtz (R – Coldwater); Andrea LaFontaine (R – Richmond); Matt Lori (R – Constantine); Pete Lund (R – Shelby Twp.); Lisa Lyons (R – Alto); Peter MacGregor (R – Rockford); Greg MacMaster (R – Kewadin); Ed McBroom (R – Vulcan); Tom McMillin (R – Rochester Hills); Paul Muxlow (R – Brown City); Aric Nesbitt (R – Lawton); Margaret O'Brien (R – Portage); Mark Ouimet (R – Ann Arbor); Rick Outman (R – Six Lakes); Peter Pettalia (R – Presque Isle); Earl Poleski (R – Jackson); Phil Potvin (R – Cadillac); Amanda Price (R – Holland); Al Pscholka (R – Stevensville); Bruce Rendon (R – Lake City); Bill Rogers (R –Brighton); Wayne Schmidt (R – Traverse City); Deb Shaughnessy (R – Charlotte); Michael Shirkey (R – Clark Lake); Pat Somerville (R – New Boston); Jim Stamas (R – Midland); John Walsh (R – Livonia); Ken Yonker (R – Caledonia); and Dale Zorn (R – Ida).

The following State Representatives will be recognized as a "Champion of Free Enterprise" at the Michigan Chamber Foundation's 2012 Legislative Reception & Annual Dinner on September 19^th at the Lansing Center:

• David Agema (R – Grandville)
• Jeff Farrington (R – Utica)
• Ray Franz (R – Onekama)
• Robert Genetski (R – Saugatuck)
• Joe Haveman (R – Holland)
• Matt Huuki (R – Atlantic Mine)
• Joel Johnson (R – Clare)
• Peter MacGregor (R – Rockford)
• Tom McMillin (R – Rochester Hills)
• Chuck Moss (R – Birmingham)
• Aric Nesbitt (R – Lawton)
• Paul Opsommer (R – DeWitt)
• Amanda Price (R – Holland)
• Mike Shirkey (R – Clark Lake)

The Michigan Chamber's 2011-2012 Legislative Voting Record is available on the Chamber's website at www.michamber.com/votingrecord.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business organization representing approximately 6,800 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Michigan Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. Michigan Chamber member businesses provide jobs to 1.5 million residents. One of every 2.6 employees in Michigan works for a Chamber member firm. The Michigan Chamber was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan's job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. It is one of only six state chambers accredited by the U.S. Chamber and one of only four state chambers accredited with distinction.

SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce