John Fisher is a native of Portage and says he has a great passion to serve the area.
The United Methodist Minister says he has spent his life working with common people, and would like to be their voice in Lansing. The 61st District is an open seat this year because Margaret O'Brien is running for state Senate. Fisher is hoping to change its party affiliation in this year's election. He sat down with WMUK's Gordon Evans. Some highlights:
Serving the Common Good
Asked what the state does to help serve the "common good," Fisher says infrastructure needs to be improved. He says the environment and education also make up the common good. And Fisher says he wants to change the state's tax structure
Roads
Governor Rick Snyder has said the state needs $1-billion a year or more to repair and maintain the roads. Fisher says funding the roads should be a broad-based plan. He says heavy trucks are causing much of the damage that needs to be repaired, he says they should help pay for the roads. Fisher says raising the gas tax would be "a last resort" for him. Fisher says many people are struggling and would have to pay more if the gas tax goes up.
Education
Fisher says public schools and charter schools should compete on a level playing field. He says charters get the same per-pupil fee as public schools without having to provide the same level of service to the same population of students. Fisher says "virtual schools" also shouldn't get the same per-pupil allotment as public schools. He says one of the major problems with education is figuring out how to properly evaluate teaching and learning.
Tax Reform
Asked about restructuring Michigan's tax system, Fisher says he would bring back the full Earned Income Tax Credit and the homestead tax credit. Fisher says he would eliminate the tax on pension income approved in 2011. He would be willing to consider a progressive tax. Fisher says that would ensure that people at the top of the income scale would pay their "fair share."
Marijuana
Voters approved the use of medical marijuana in 2008. Fisher says it will take "a lot of fine tuning" to get the law right. But he says the eventual legalization of marijuana is "a done deal." Fisher says prohibition isn't going to work for marijuana any better than it worked for alcohol.
Discussion of other issues can be heard in the web version of the interview.
More on roads
When asked about raising vehicle registration fees, Fisher says he would like to see a different system for determining how much people pay to register their vehicle. He says basing the amount on weight rather than price would be one way to get money from vehicle registration.
Testing
Fisher says the current system of evaluating schools is hurting education. He says "it's quick and easy" to look at test scores. But Fisher says meaningful, helpful evaluation would require much greater effort.
Right to Work
Michigan's "right to work" law was approved in 2012. Fisher says a more appropriate name is the "corporate servitude act." He says workers should be able to organize to have more leverage in negotiating compensation. Fisher says income inequality is growing in part because union membership is declining.
Discrimination
Fisher says he would "absolutely"support amending the state's Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Fisher says his high school choir director was gay. Fisher says he didn't know that at the time, but he says the teacher and his partner had to keep their relationship hidden. Fisher says that's wrong, and he says gay marriage should be legal.
Term Limits
Michigan currently limits lawmakers to six years in the House and eight years in the Senate. Fisher says that has caused people not to work together in the Legislature because they don't develop relationships. He says it also gives more power to lobbyists. But Fisher says if it weren't for term limits, he probably wouldn't be running. Fisher says he can do the job for six years, but if it weren't for that limit, voters would want someone younger who can build a career.
