Redistricting Michigan 2012

by: Menhen

Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:26:57 AM EDT

Lately there has been a lot of Debate over the number of Democratic Congressional Districts that Democrats could gerrymander out of the state of Michigan if they had complete control (right now they hold the Governorship and State House.  They stand a good chance at taking control of the State Senate while the Governor's race is a tossup).  A few people have said that it is possible to succesfully draw a map that would yield 12 Democratic seats and only 2 Republican seats.  I've been trying for several weeks to draw a 12-2 map, meanwhile protecting endangered incumbents (specifically Schauer) and I've determined that a 12-2 map would be far overeaching and in a neutral or Republican leaning year might end up 9-5 or worse. I think the best Michigan Democrats could do is create 11 safe or Democrat leaning districts and 3 strongly Republican districts.  I've drawn a map that I think does just that, although I still am not entirely confident that we could hold both of my "Thumb" districts in a Republican year.  But without further ado, here's my map.

Autism Legislation

by: Representative Barb Byrum

Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 16:34:24 PM EDT

Autism was first identified during the Second World War and has since become America's fastest-growing development disorder.  The rates of this disorder are spiking to such a degree that autism is often described as an epidemic.

There is currently no cure for autism, but experts do know this: early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for an autistic child to reach his or her full potential. Yet most health insurance companies only cover screening for the disorder, which leaves families raising children with autism to bear the high costs of treatment on their own.

My colleagues in the House and I held a press conference today demanding that insurance companies cover autism, a very treatable disease. The first piece of legislation that we introduced would require health insurance companies to cover the treatment of autism. The plan, which has received strong bi-partisan support, will ensure that autistic children receive the quality care they need to help them grow and develop, while scaling back the health care costs associated with autism.

As more and more children across our state are being diagnosed with autism, an increasing number of Michigan families are struggling to keep up with the high costs of treatment - sometimes costing a single family $50,000 or more a year.

"Hire Michigan First" plan protects, creates jobs for our workers

by: Representative Barb Byrum

Mon Mar 09, 2009 at 14:48:55 PM EDT

Michigan has some of the hardest-working residents in the country.  Unfortunately, our state has fallen on hard times.  Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and our state is struggling with the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

There are some things we cannot control.  Global trade agreements, outsourcing and federal policies have all played a role in getting us where we are.  But what we can - and must - do is control some of the local factors influencing Michigan's jobs picture.

An example is in the awarding of state contracts and state tax breaks and incentives.  When Michigan tax dollars are used to create jobs, Michigan workers should have first priority in getting those jobs.  Our tax dollars should benefit our own working families - not out-of-state - workers or illegal immigrants.

That is where the Hire Michigan First plan comes in.

The Hire Michigan First plan gives companies that hire more workers from Michigan priority in getting state tax breaks and economic development incentives.  The more Michigan workers a company hires, the more likely it is to receive a state contract or state tax incentives.

Second, the plan requires companies that accept state economic development incentives to report who they are hiring.  When the state gives incentives to businesses, we want to see that they are using those incentives to get our workers back on the job.  The reporting requirement adds accountability and transparency to this state funding process.

Third, Hire Michigan First requires that companies that build state buildings hire 100 percent of their workers from Michigan.  Our workers are more than ready and able to do these jobs, and they should have the opportunity to do so.

And fourth, the plan cracks down on companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.  Those companies will have their tax incentives and state contracts cancelled.  They will have to pay back any incentives they already received and they will be barred from getting future state contracts.

My number one priority in Lansing is creating good-paying jobs for our workers.  We must make sure Michigan tax dollars go into our workers' paychecks, not to workers from other states and countries.  And by supporting our workers, we will strengthen our economy and get Michigan back on track.

MDP Convention

by: Representative Barb Byrum

Sun Feb 22, 2009 at 18:26:51 PM EST

This was an exciting weekend to be a Democrat. In an effort to build on our many victories from November, the Michigan Democratic Party held its State Convention at Cabo Hall in Detroit on Saturday.

As Democrats, we had some important priorities at convention this year. My top priority at this year's convention was to ensure the re-election of Mark Brewer as MDP Chair.

Mark has a proven track record of victory for Democrats. Under Mark's leadership, Democrats in Michigan have gone 4-for-4 in Presidential elections, 5-for-5 in U.S. Senate elections and 2-for-3 in gubernatorial elections. We've built a 24-seat majority in the state House and we shocked the pundits by taking out Cliff Taylor, making it the first ever defeat of a sitting Supreme Court Justice. 

Just as important, Mark is working hard to build the future of the MDP by traversing our state and working with tens of thousands of activists at thousands of local party meetings.

As Democrats, we've accomplished a lot with Mark Brewer as Chair, and there's plenty of work to do. That's why I supported Mark Brewer for re-election, and why I am excited that he will continue his service as Chair of the MDP.

I was glad to see so many Democrats out this weekend. It was a fun and productive weekend for the party.

Exercising for Rep Byrum!

by: ProgressiveFemale

Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 15:46:11 PM EDT

Buy Local Week

by: Representative Barb Byrum

Mon Jul 14, 2008 at 07:00:17 AM EDT

    It is not just the people in a community that distinguish one community from another, it is also the businesses and local shops that make our community unique.
    Unlike large, retail stores, we can usually place a face on our local businesses. We typically know the storeowners and the associates by name, because they are the ones who coach our kids’ little league team, or they supply the team jerseys and donate pizza for the school party.
They are the ones who volunteer to work the blood drives or supervise after-school activities for our children.
    When we buy local, money re-circulates within the community. This is due in part to locally owned businesses employing local community members who purchase goods more often from other local businesses. Buying local helps grow other businesses as well as the local tax base.
    We can keep our money in our community, and local business owners are more prone to invest into our towns. Small businesses account for more than 95 percent of the employers in Michigan, so when we shop and buy local, that means more jobs for you and your neighbors, probably with better pay than they would receive at a large box store.
    By working together, we can begin getting our economy back on track by buying local. The “Buy Local” week I am sponsoring will officially begin the week of July 13th and ends on the 19th. Go out and support our community!

    If you have any questions or if I may ever be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me at (517) 373-0587 or at BarbByrum@house.mi.gov. 

Barb Byrum: Family Inspiration

by: JPowers155

Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 10:54:15 AM EDT

From Representative Barb Byrum: 

In honor of Women's History Month, I wish to introduce you to the three most important women in my life. These women have inspired me to become a mother, business woman, and public servant. The love and encouragement of the following women has been a true blessing in my life. I can only hope to someday inspire other women as these women have inspired me.

My mom, Dianne Byrum, former Democratic Leader of the Michigan House of Representatives and business owner is a strong role model. It is my mother who knew early on that I would run for public office, even though I was not interested in politics at the time. It is my mother who guided me through life's challenges. My mother did so much more than give me life. She gave me the world. With my father at her side, my mother read to me each night, instilling a love of books and learning at an early age. My mother taught me to stand up for what I believe in. It was my mother who smiled in delight when I put a suggestion in my 3rd grade principal's suggestion box accusing him of not being fair to girls because only boys put up the American flag in the morning. It was my mother who smiled when I saw something I didn't think was right and told her to "pass a law." My mother stood by me that day in high school, when I walked out of class and to the principal's office because the substitute teacher was preaching the Bible in government class (in a public school). And of course, it is my mother who taught me to give back to my community.

Give Michigan Consumers a Voice: This Week Marks One Year of Inaction On Drug Immunity by Senate

by: Representative Barb Byrum

Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 10:42:38 AM EST

    February 22, 2008 marked the one year anniversary the House of Representatives voted to repeal the anti-consumer protections for big drug companies called FDA based immunity.  It has been a long year waiting for the State Senate to act on this common sense reform to protect Michigan citizens from drugs that kill or harm their friends and family.  While my House colleagues and I are still waiting for the Senate to take action, no one has waited longer, or suffered more for this change than Michigan residents like Leslie Richter.
    Leslie Richter lost her husband, Richard, in 2003. Richard was killed by a stroke after he took Vioxx, the painkiller that has been responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries across the country. In 2003 alone, Merck, the maker of Vioxx, raked in $2.5 billion in worldwide sales even as the drug was causing heart attacks and cardiac deaths in tens of thousands of Americans. Vioxx, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was only taken off the market in 2004 after public outcry and numerous outside studies proved that is was, in fact, harmful.
    After Richard passed away, Leslie was at an extreme disadvantage in finding a way to hold the big drug company that manufactured Vioxx accountable for causing her husband's death. Why? Because Leslie is a resident of Michigan, the only state in the nation that gives drug companies total immunity from legal recourse when their products harm or kill consumers.
    Those who are in favor of drug industry immunity argue that if drugs are approved by the FDA, big drug companies should not be held responsible if their products are later found to be dangerous. However, study after study has shown that we simply can't rely on the FDA to keep us safe. In 2005, one of the FDA's own scientists, Dr. David Graham, testified before the U.S. Senate that the agency’s drug approval process was “broken.” Even United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) railed against the FDA for being too cozy with drug companies, a sentiment echoed in a recent report on National Public Radio.
    Those who are in favor of drug industry immunity also claim that repealing Michigan's one-of-a-kind law will be a "job killer." Yet, since the law was signed in 1996, we have not seen an influx of pharmaceutical jobs in Michigan. In fact, as Pfizer recently demonstrated when it shifted more than 2,000 jobs to East Coast states that don't have drug immunity laws, we have seen the number of pharmaceutical jobs in Michigan evaporate.
    The bottom line is that big drug companies will stop at nothing to protect their massive profits, even if it means people like Richard Richter lose their lives. It is an outrage that such a profitable industry would be allowed to dispense any drug it can push through the FDA's flawed approval process and then escape responsibility when those drugs harm or kill our residents.
    It's time for the big drug companies' free ride in Michigan to end.  My House Colleagues and I have told Michigan's consumers that they deserve to have a voice when FDA approved drugs hurt or kill their friends and families. As we mark one year since the House voted to repeal this anti-consumer law, we should ask ourselves "What is the Senate saying?"

Show your support and help repeal the protection for big drug companies visit: 

www.housedems.com/petitions/end-rx-immunity 

Michigan Continues to Lag Behind Country in Reducing Risk of Second Hand Smoke

by: Representative Barb Byrum

Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 16:28:12 PM EST

Friday Coffee Talk

by: BZP

Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 07:15:58 AM EST

Happy Friday. Enjoy your morning cup-o-links!

• BFM: Cue the Republican Noise Machine. Ah, the price of honesty. The gov has been getting raked over the coals for her remarks about taxes in this week's AP interview, but thankfully we have Wizardkitten to take us down memory lane and help put things in perspective.
• Michigan Messenger: Lawmakers move against water diversion. Eartha Jane Melzer takes a look at the current status of the Great Lakes Compact.
• Skubick: In end, pols got the job done. "So while you may think the government is filled with buffoons, they deserve a pat on the head. If you don't like this form of government, move to Venezuela. Or you could start a petition drive to install a benevolent dictator. The governor might even sign it."

• BFM: Kalitta Air Expands With Purchase Of Boeing Freighters. Another nice profile from Christine about a Michigan business that's poised for future growth.
• Gov. Granholm: Granholm Allocates $963,100 in No Worker Left Behind Funds for Job Training for People with Disabilities. "This career training will help them navigate through the challenges of seeking work, overcome barriers to employment, get a good job, and achieve financial independence." You can read more here on the Governor's blog.
• Walt Sorg: Gov. Jennifer Granholm Spent yesterday in D.C. lobbying for federal support for the alternative energy industry. She chatted with Walt yesterday about the trip.
• AP: Michigan House works on renewable energy plan. "The state House is working toward trying to require Michigan utilities to provide 10 percent of the state's energy from renewable sources by 2015." Wizardkitten has a follow-up post here.
• Michigan Messenger: Dow charged with passing bad dioxin data. Uh oh. Sounds like Dow might've given, "state environmental regulators bad information about levels of the cancer-causing chemical dioxin in the Tittabawassee River." You can read the AP story here.

• Capitol Journal: The Next Byrum. Rep. Barb Byrum had better start grooming her newborn son Blake for the 2028 election. Congratulations!
• Our Michigan: Dick DeVos at Cleary University. Celeste has a nice write-up on the Amway Guy's visit to Howell to talk about soap closet organizers homeland security.

The Littlest Democrat: Blake Bradley Delaney (Byrum)

by: JPowers155

Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 10:12:03 AM EST

Congratulations to Representative Byrum and her husband! If you would like to offer your best wishes, please send cards to 4523 Stone Road, Onondaga, MI,49264. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that contributions be made to Tomorrow's Child, Michigan SIDS.

New Democratic Leadership Reaches Out to Bloggers

by: LiberalLucy

Mon Jan 15, 2007 at 07:45:00 AM EST