The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Capitol Bureau Chief Rick Pluta says the Flint water crisis will be part of the history of the Snyder administration, and will be part of “the context in which it’s judged.”
This week Snyder declared a state of emergency in Genesee County because of the elevated levels of lead in Flint’s water system. The crisis led to the resignation of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant last month. Rick joined WMUK’s Gordon Evans from Lansing to discuss that and other issues before state lawmakers as the new year begins.
Pluta says it’s purely speculation, but he expects Flint and water infrastructure in Michigan cities to come up in Governor Snyder’s State of the State address later this month. Pluta says Snyder delivered a message on the environment and water quality last year, but it ended up on the “back burner.”
Governor Snyder signed legislation this week that eliminates the option of one “straight ticket” option on election ballots. Pluta says Republicans are starting to worry about the possibility of Donald Trump winning the Republican Presidential nomination. He says making it harder to vote for one party could limit some risk to Republican candidates further down the ticket.
Michigan was rare in having the “straight ticket” option. Two previous efforts to change it were rejected by voters. But Pluta says this time Republican lawmakers added an appropriation which makes it immune from a referendum challenge. He says Democrats could file a federal voting rights lawsuit, or could initiate a new law.
One criticism of the change is that it will mean people having to wait longer to vote on Election Day. Snyder, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and others have called for Michigan to adopt “no reason” absentee voting. They say that would help reduce lines at the polls. But Pluta says Republican leadership in the state Senate doesn’t favor that change, and there’s no sign that will change anytime soon.
Several issues could make it on the statewide ballot for the November. Three separate campaigns have taken out petitions to legalize marijuana in Michigan. Pluta says all three campaigns are struggling to get the signatures necessary to make the ballot. He says it remains unclear which issues will make it before voters. Pluta says everyone is watching a proposal to add LGBT rights to the equal protection clause of the Michigan Constitution. But there is a difference among liberal and progressive groups over whether that ballot campaign should proceed. Pluta says while the difference is mainly tactical, the debate has become “very personal.”
An election year will likely mean less time for tackling big issues. Pluta says members of the state House who are running for re-election, or for another office, need to spend time campaigning. He says the implications of any controversial vote are amplified.
“Before you go in for any job interview or performance review, the things that happen right before that particular event are going to be clear and present in the minds of the people who are doing the judging. And that’s no different in an election campaign year.”
