Elections, Politics & Policy: April 2013

Worst kept secret: Peters to run for U.S. Senate in Michigan

Washington, D.C., news outlets The National Journal and Roll Call are both reporting that Michigan U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, a Bloomfield Township Democrat, will officially announce Wednesday that he's a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Peters is expected to formally announce Wednesday in Rochester Hills.

Battle lines drawn in debate over reforming Michigan's no-fault auto insurance

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Macomb County state Rep. Pete Lund briefly debated proposed changes to Michigan's no-fault auto insurance law Sunday morning on Fox 2 Detroit's "Let It Rip" show moderated by Charlie Langton.
The roughly eight-minute segment barely scratched the surface on what is becoming an increasingly contentious debate.
Lund and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder propose to end Michigan's unlimited medical expenses for catastrophic injuries in car crashes, capping them at $1 million. Patterson is on the side of a coalition that wants to keep the benefits uncapped.

Michigan no-fault auto insurance debate heats up

The debate over no-fault auto insurance reform in Michigan heats up Sunday when author of reform legislation and one of its chief critics square off.
State Rep. Pete Lund and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson debate no-fault auto insurance at 9:30 a.m. on FOX 2 Detroit's "Let It Rip" show moderated by Charlie Langton.

Robust job growth forecast for Oakland County

Oakland County's 28th annual economic forecast is out and, as expected, the outlook is indeed more upbeat than it has been for much of the 21st century, and certainly for the most recent years.

Michigan no-fault auto insurance reform is no slam dunk

Legislation in Michigan to reform no-fault auto insurance by putting a $1 million cap on payments for catastrophic injuries won't be easy to achieve.
Announced by Gov. Rick Snyder last week, the push-back was almost immediate.

Debbie Dingell bows out of Michigan U.S. Senate race

Apparently, one Dingell in Congress is enough.
Debbie Dingell, wife of U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a Dearborn area Democrat, announced Saturday she won't run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated at the end of 2014 by Carl Levin.

With the drama continuing to unfold in Massachusetts over two suspects in Monday's Boston Marathon explosions, from Russia's Chechnya, the Associated Press was quick to provide a history lesson of the region dating back to the violent 1990s.
Writes the AP from Moscow:
"Militants from Chechnya and other restive regions in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus have targeted Moscow and other areas with bombings and hostage-takings, but the allegations of involvement in the Boston Marathon explosions would mark the first time they had conducted a terror attack in the West.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder plans to make good on his State of the State pledge to reform Michigan's no-fault auto insurance system.
With Republicans controlling the state legislature, he's likely to get most, if not all, of what he wants.
In a livestreamed news conference Thursday, the governor said he wants to cap unlimited medical coverage for accident victims at $1 million, a move he estimates will lower insurance premiums by $250 for the average family.

Michigan congressmen pooling money for Senate run?

Quarterly campaign finance reports show two of the potential candidates to replace U.S. Sen. Carl Levin out in front when it comes to raising money.

Boston Marathon: No way to totally prevent a determined attack

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard talked at length Tuesday about the difficulty in preventing attacks at events like the Boston Marathon, in which attendance is free and there are no gates for spectators to enter where security measures can be put into place.

Inside the GOP: The great looming divide

First, there was the incendiary remarks of Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema from Michigan, who made a Facebook post was entitled "Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals," citing a doctor that claimed in part that gays are to blame for half the murders in large cities.
So started the firestorm.

One Oakland County commissioner says it's time to raise the state's minimum wage.
Royal Oak Democrat Dave Woodward has launched an online petition drive at www.raisemichigan.com to push state lawmakers to hike Michigan's $7.40 an hour minimum wage.

With the April 15 individual tax filing deadline just around the corner, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin wants to close tax loopholes used by the nation's largest corporations.
The Michigan Democrat, who announced last month that he'll forego a run for a seventh six-year term in 2014 to focus on the nation's problems, says offshore tax-dodging by the biggest corporations is on that list.

Michigan Gov. Snyder rating unchanged, consumer confidence mixed

A new poll from Michigan State University's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research shows the approval ratings of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder unchanged with consumer confidence mixed and the approval ratings of President Barack Obama improving.

Medical Marijuana: Do new Michigan laws bring clarity?

New laws took effect Monday that further define medical marijuana in Michigan for patients, caregivers and doctors.
Medical marijuana advocates say the new laws, to some degree, help clarify Michigan's 2008 voter-approved amendment allowing the medical use of marijuana. And, to some degree, the new laws don't.