Gaylord/Otsego County Chamber of Commerce

Government Relations Update from Jamie Callahan

May 5, 2008

Filing Deadline Less than ONE Week Away

If you or someone you know is considering a run for public office, the time to make that decision whether to jump into the world of politics is now.Individuals running for public office have less than one week to file the proper paperwork.The filing deadline is May 13^th for the August 5^th primary.See your local clerk for the appropriate forms.

Individual Market Reform Passes Senate; Workgroup Created

Two of the long-awaited individual market reform bills passed the Senate last week after being discharged from the Health Policy Committee.

House Bills 5282 and 5283 passed the chamber looking quite different than the versions passed by the House months ago.The Senate passed versions have elements outlined in recent committees and from proposed substitutes, including:elimination of a high-risk pool, elimination of the proposed charitable social mission fund, added consumer protections, retention of the Attorney General’s role, expedited rate filing, a one year study on the individual market and high-risk pools, and allowing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to take personal behaviors into account for setting rates.

Traditionally, a conference committee made up of members from both chambers would be named to come up with agreed upon language for a final vote.This has not happened this time, but instead, a workgroup is being formed in the House to hammer out a compromise, with members including one representative each from the House and Senate political caucuses, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the UAW, and the Coalition for Access and Affordability in Michigan (CAAM) of commercial carriers.

The current plan is to have the group start meeting this week.There is no definite date set for a final agreement, other than having something worked out and voted on by July 4^th break or before. Versions of the House and Senate passed bills can be viewed at www.mileg.org.

Rep. Elsenheimer Rescinds Appeals Court Bid

Late last week, Representative Kevin Elsenheimer pulled out of the race for the Fourth District Court of Appeals judgeship, which is being vacated by Judge Bill Schuette.Elsenheimer had been one of five candidates seeking the position.The Fourth District covers a whopping 58 counties from the tip of the Upper Peninsula as far south as the thumb and Ingham County

Word is that with five candidates in the race, with three leaning more conservative and two leaning more liberal, having one less conservative candidate gave the other two a better chance of securing at least one of the top two slots in the August primary.

Elsenheimer will run for re-election to his third term in the House.  Almost all of the candidates who had filed for the seat after Elsenheimer’s announced departure have since withdrawn from the House race.