Protesters and police at a right-to-work demonstration this month at Michigan's Capitol.
LANSING, MI - One year ago today, how many folks out there thought Michigan would be a right-to-work state by the time 2012 ended?
How many thought Thad McCotter would be out of Congress? Or that The Vagina Monologues would be performed on the steps of the Michigan Capitol?
All of that happened, and a bunch more. Some of the events were relatively easy to forecast, but many weren’t.
Here are 10 of the most significant or interesting political stories that developed in Michigan in 2012:
Michigan becomes the nation’s 24th right-to-work state amid protests
Thousands of people protested at the state Capitol as the Republican-led Legislature approved bills to ban requiring union dues as a condition of employment. Right-to-work had been discussed for years, but the chances of it actually happening had appeared remote in a state with strong ties to organized labor. In the end, the process of debuting legislation and getting Gov. Rick Snyder’s signature took less than a week. The bills were passed without committee hearings during the Legislature’s so-called “lame duck” session.
Right to work quickly became a key issue to shape the upcoming 2014 election cycle. And it also may make it tougher to define Republican Gov. Rick Snyder as he enters his third year. His shift in support of right to work -- after months of saying it wasn't on his agenda -- makes him appear more conservative than at other times during his tenure.
Michigan voters reject five proposed constitutional amendments
Unions, business groups and others combined to spend a record $150 million-plus on six statewide ballot issues during Michigan’s 2012 election cycle. And those seeking "yes" votes spent their money in vain as voters rejected all six proposals -- including all five proposed constitutional amendments.
The proposals would have guaranteed collective bargaining rights in the state constitution, required utilities to produce more electricity from renewable sources, given workers in a certain state home healthcare program collective bargaining powers, required a two-thirds vote of state lawmakers to approve tax increases and prohibited the building of a new bridge to Canada without a vote of the people.
Dispute continues over powers of Michigan’s emergency managers
Benton Harbor is one of the Michigan locations with an emergency manager.
Also on the November ballot, Michigan voters rejected Public Act 4 of 2011 – a law that briefly gave emergency managers appointed to run financially struggling cities and schools more powers. But efforts to provide stronger oversight of struggling cities and schools continue. In December, Michigan lawmakers approved a new law aimed at providing more options when cities and schools are in financial distress. Snyder announced Thursday that he has signed the bill.
U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter’s political career implodes
Former U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter
The guitar-playing, Bob Dylan-quoting Republican from Livonia was briefly in the presidential race in 2011. By the time that election was held in November 2012, McCotter wasn’t even in Congress anymore. He stepped down in July and charges surfaced that his campaign had faked the petitions and voter signatures necessary to run for re-election.
McCotter’s demise was the strangest in a year that saw Michigan’s congressional delegation drop from 15 seats to 14 because of declining population. U.S. Rep. Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit, got lost in the shuffle and lost a bid to remain in Congress. U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint, retired and was replaced by nephew Dan Kildee.
Democrats again win Michigan in presidential election
President Barack Obama carried Michigan over native son and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, whose father was once a popular governor in the state. Democrats have now carried Michigan in six consecutive presidential elections, reducing Michigan's status as a presidential battleground state. The last Republican to break through was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
Rep. Roy Schmidt’s political stunt comes back to bite him
The state lawmaker from Grand Rapids began the year as a Democrat. With House Speaker Jase Bolger’s help, he became a Republican at the May 15 candidate filing deadline – catching his colleagues off guard and starting a political firestorm in the process. The details of the election-rigging scheme came back to haunt Schmidt, who issued a public apology on the House floor just weeks after losing his re-election bid. Bolger survived a re-election scare. Several investigations have resulted in no charges, but the party switch scheme remains under investigation by a one-person grand jury in Ingham County.
‘Vagina-gate’ brings women's issues debate to Michigan
'The Vagina Monologues' performance on the Capitol steps came after an anti-abortion bill passed the Michigan House.
A broad bill aimed at putting more regulations on abortion providers was overshadowed to some degree by the political theater created in its relatively early stages. Democratic Reps. Lisa Brown of West Bloomfield and Barb Byrum of Onondaga were banned from speaking on the House floor for one day in June after House Republican leaders deemed their comments and actions during a floor debate as unprofessional. Byrum yelled “vasectomy!” and marched off through the chamber after failed attempts to speak on an amendment that would have added limitations to the procedure for men. Brown said: “I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina. But no means no.”
People dubbed the controversy "Vagina-gate" and The Vagina Monologues was soon performed on the Capitol steps as a show of support for women’s rights. But the protests had dwindled by the time lawmakers gave final legislative approval to the bill in the December.
The bill -- which did have some provisions dropped from its original version -- is awaiting Gov. Rick Snyder’s possible signature. His administration says he intends to sign it, pending final legal review.
Republicans keep control of House, but Democrats reduce margin
House Speaker Jase Bolger got some campaign help from Gov. Rick Snyder in his re-election bid.
Michigan Democrats picked up five seats in the state House during the November election, but the GOP will still have a 59-51 edge during the 2013-14 session. Some question whether Democrats might have gained more ground if they had focused on other races, rather than spending a lot of time and money on an unsuccessful attempt to upset House Speaker Jase Bolger -- who is expected to remain speaker in the 2013-14 session.
The Michigan Senate was not up for election in 2012, so Republicans maintain their 26-12 edge over Democrats.
Senate race features criticized Hoekstra ad, Stabenow victory
Debbie Stabenow won a third term in the U.S. Senate.
Republican Pete Hoekstra wanted to build buzz headed into the 2012 U.S. Senate race with a high-profile Super Bowl ad criticizing Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Hoekstra got buzz, but not the kind he wanted – the ad featuring an Asian American actress was widely criticized and many considered it racist. Hoekstra rebounded to win the Republican primary, but Stabenow easily won re-election to a third term in November.
Changes to Michigan guns law scrapped in wake of Conn. shooting
Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a bill related to concealed weapons.
The Michigan Legislature gave final approval to bills that would have allowed people with extra training to carry concealed weapons in so-called “gun free” zones such as schools, churches and sports stadiums. And just hours later, a gunman walked into a Connecticut school and killed 20 children and six adults. Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the Michigan bill, but the debate over how to try and avoid similar tragedies in the future is just beginning to escalate across the U.S.
The trouble with Top 10 lists? Only 10 items fit
Many other political stories captured the state's attention in 2012. Some of the other notable ones, based either on significance or the amount of interest generated among MLive.com readers: the federal government's lawsuit against Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway, pending changes to medical marijuana law, the repeal of Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law, new laws aimed at boosting insurance coverage for autism treatments, the ongoing fight over public school employee retirement systems and the over-caffeinated Democratic National Convention speech by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Email Tim Martin at tmartin4@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TimMartinMI
