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| Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R) Monroe |
"On Wednesday, March 14, Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell, introduced Senate Bill 1018. The measure mirrors House Bill 4003, which was designed to stop the "skim" and prevent future forced unionizations. Co-sponsoring Hildenbrand's bill are 21 Senate Republicans. Only 20 votes are needed to pass legislation in the Senate.This should mean there are now 22 GOP Senators leaning toward voting "yes' on HB 4003 and sending it to the Governor. However, they can't vote for the bill if Sen. Richardville refuses to put it up for a vote."
This has resulted in a number of criticisms (well deserved I might add) of the Speaker about him pursuing his own agenda; one that is paid for in some way with union support.
Which leaves many in the state feeling that their "elected voice" has been muffled by the majority leader. Essentially, the words "put a sock in it" is what is coming out of Richardville's office, and has prompted some to place his personal troubles on display:
""We are looking into the possibility that what they did was illegal. It certainly was inappropriate at best. I would just characterize it as disgusting," Amber McCann, Richardville's spokesperson, told Gongwer. "Whatever the intent of the communication was, the result is that the senators have rallied behind their leader. ... Whatever the sender's motivation is, it's had the opposite effect on the caucus."The situation became public after Randy Bishop discussed allegations involving Richardville on a Charlevoix talk radio program. Tea party activists are upset with Richardville because of his reluctance to push right-to-work legislation in the Senate."
The nearly half of the Michigan State Senators who are ready for a vote of no confidence couldn't have a better opportunity to put a stint in the pipes, and allow the blood of reason to flow once again. There is no threat but the threatening tone of reality that you have to listen to. Right To work, and the particular issue of STEALING from the unfortunate to pad the wallets of union friends of the leader are realities.
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| Senator Roger Kahn (R) Saginaw |
More on Randy Richardville's woes:
MIRS CAPITOL CAPSULE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“These guys are a couple of low-level thugs who, at their core, are pissed at being beat by Randy and (Sen.) Howard WALKER (R-Traverse City) in a primary and nobody will do anything for them on their Right to Work proposal.” said Sen. Jack BRANDENBURG (R-Harrison Twp.) about a pair of Tea Party activists who sent e-mails to Republican senators urging them to remove the Senate Majority Leader Randy RICHARDVILLE by making a personal attack.
R Al Bain response to Senator Jack Brandenburg’s Quote of the Day: “These guys are a couple of low-level thugs”
Those who claim they are being unfairly attacked and respond with personal attacks is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it.
Caucus Rallies Around Richardville Amid Tea Party Attack
Certain Tea Party activists are urging Republican senators to remove Senate Majority Leader Randy RICHARDVILLE (R-Monroe) from his leadership position for not advancing such issues as Right to Work and the unionization of home health care workers.
On Tuesday, “Trucker” Randy BISHOP, a state Senate candidate in the 37th District in 2010, sent an email to Republican senators that prompted a Senate Republican caucus this morning during which all 26 GOP senators gave Richardville a “standing ovation” in support, sources tell MIRS. There are a total of 26 Republicans in the Senate, so if all 26 Senators stood for the “standing ovation” of support this means that Senator Richardville also participated showing his own personal arrogance in regard to this matter!
The Bishop correspondence came after one sent by Gene CLEM of the “1st Tea Party Alliance” a couple weeks ago signed by various other Tea Party leaders that also brought up similar issues.
Unlike the Clem correspondence, Bishop forwarded an e-mail that repeated an unverified personal attack against Richardville, which generated an angry response from Senators who felt their leader was being unfairly attacked. This theme against Richardville was repeated during a live broadcast by Charlevoix station WMKT, which Bishop participated in.
Sen. Jack BRANDENBURG (R-Harrison Twp.) said he’s spoke with Bishop and R. Al BAIN, who ran against Richardville in the 2010 Republican primary, earlier this week and was not happy by the tact they are taking.
“These guys are a couple of low-level thugs who, at their core, are pissed at being beat by Randy and (Sen.) Howard WALKER (R-Traverse City) in a primary and nobody will do anything for them on their Right to Work proposal.”
MIRS asked Richardville spokeswoman Amber McCANN about the email Bishop sent to senators. “I don’t think that kind of document deserves acknowledgment or comment,” she said.
A caucus source said that there’s no coalition within the caucus of senators interested in challenging Richardville’s leadership position. Some have been unhappy with Richardville over certain issues, like the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) or the Michigan health care exchange, but not enough to throw in with a couple Tea Party activists.
However, a bill that would help prevent unionization drives like the one under the Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQCCC), SB 1018 sponsored by Sen. Dave HILDENBRAND (R-Lowell), will see action on Thursday. The bill is expected to move out of the Reform, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee and be passed on the floor.
Leadership discussed the bill last week and the caucus talked about it on Tuesday. McCann said Richardville plans to vote “yes” and said the timing has nothing to do with Bishop’s letter.
Bishop said he sent the e-mail based on “rumors” he heard in Richardville’s home district that he felt the senators should know. He said he “absolutely supports” the Republican caucus voting out Richardville for “not representing the people of the state of Michigan” on issues like Right to Work and the New International Trade Crossing, which he called the “government bridge.”
“He’s not in sync with the majority of Republican citizens and what needs to be done,” Bishop said. “Randy Richardville is a major roadblock in what we feel would truly reinvent Michigan and do a better job of getting Michigan and its people back to work.
“I can’t believe these Senators are going to condone this type of behavior from Randy Richardville,” he said. “That’s astonishing to me.”
Doug SEDENQUIST of the Delta Area Tea Party Group and Bain told MIRS that they, too, believe Richardville needs to go.
“This has nothing to do with sour grapes,” Bain said. “This guy is not a Republican. I don’t care if he’s got an ‘R’ after his name. He’s not a Republican.”
But Joan FABAINO of Tea Party group Grassroots in Michigan said repeating personal attacks against a sitting Senator is “not anything I would approve of whatsoever.”
Fabiano said there is a lot of “angst and distrust” of Richardville and his brand of leadership, this tactic used by Bishop “shows a lack of ethical behavior . . . I would condemn it. “
Tea Party activists across the state had been making racket for weeks about Richardville for his stance on policy issues. Clem said Tea Party activists from Plymouth, Lapeer, Manistee, Ludington and elsewhere were putting pressure on Richardville to move on the MQCCC bills.
“Don’t you think it’d be a better leader than Richardville?” Clem said.
But another Tea Party official told MIRS that many other Tea Party groups are not interested in wasting energy on an inter-caucus fight when U.S. Sen. Debbie STABENOW (D-Lansing) is on the ballot in 2012 and the Democrats are working hard to take back the House at the federal and state level.
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