Today in Washington, the Senate Finance Committee will take up whether Congress should extend unemployment benefits for Michigan’s 100,000 unemployed workers who have used up their available unemployment relief. The Senate bills supported by both Carl Levin (D-Detroit) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) would give an additional 13 weeks of benefits to unemployed workers in states who carry an unemployment rate of at least 8.5 percent. Michigan holds the highest jobless rate in the nation at 15 percent.

Nearly 100,000 Michiganians will run out of benefits by the end of the year. The Michigan House of Representatives approved related legislation to help Michigan’s workers in May, but it has yet to be taken up by the Senate Republicans and the bills continue to gather dust in committee. As this legislation sits idle, the state’s unemployment rate continues to grow and thousands of Michigan residents are struggling to make ends meet and support their families.

These bills, also called the “Unemployment Modernization Act,” would allow individuals enrolled in a state-approved job training program to receive unemployment insurance benefits for an extra 26 weeks and would also allow those working between 16 and 40 hours per week to become eligible for unemployment insurance benefits beginning after January 1, 2011. Twenty-seven states and counting have already taken the measures to pass this legislation.

Senate Democrats have continuously called for action on this legislation since day one, despite the issue being overlooked by their colleagues across the aisle. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Prusi (D- Ishpeming) spoke on the Senate floor on the urgency for action on these bills. His statement can be viewed here: http://www.senate.mi.gov/prusi/play.php?id=796. Check out these other sites to help call for action:

• To sign a petition and contact Republican Senators to demand support for the legislation click here: www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/helpmiworkers.

• To join the ‘Help Michigan Workers’ Facebook Cause page click here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/317737/42426775?m=2d8eb144&t=1247754471.

As Congress and others work to help families struggling get by in this economy, Senate Democrats will continue to make this issue a priority.

On Wednesday, July 22, I will host a town hall meeting with former Rep. Steve Tobocman and state and local experts on how to save your home from foreclosure. It will take place from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Northwest Activity Center in Detroit at 18100 Meyers Road.

This is a free event. For more information, call 1-800-454-7842 or visit www.mirealtors.com.

New unemployment data released yesterday paints a dismal, yet not surprising, picture of the state of Michigan’s economy: 15.2% of workers are unemployed, and this number is likely much higher due to workers who lost part-time jobs or who have already exhausted their benefits. Economists predict this number will continue to rise: http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/michigan_unemployment_rate_jum_2.html.

Senators Tupac A. Hunter and Deb Cherry have introduced bills that would throw a lifeline to unemployed workers in Michigan who have lost part-time jobs or are participating in a state-approved job training program. These bills, which are identical to bills passed through the House in May, have not yet been acted upon by the Senate Republican Majority. Passing this legislation would not only help Michigan’s unemployed workers, but it would also enable the state to receive $138.9 million in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to do so.

Last month, Senate Democrats forced a vote on the bills to help Michigan workers, but it failed on a party line vote. Senate Democrats will continue to fight for our unemployed workers, and we encourage you to get involved and let the Republican Senators know that Michigan can’t afford not to accept this help. A new Facebook Cause Page was launched today to gather support for this issue, and you can join here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/317737.

Senate Democrats also recently launched a website calling for action on this unemployment modernization plan that twenty-seven other states have already approved to receive the funding allocated to them. The site, www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/helpmiworkers, encourages visitors to sign a petition and contact Republican Senators to demand support for the legislation. Please take a moment to visit the site and add your name to the list. Senate Democrats will continue to fight for Michigan workers, and with your help, we can pass this legislation and secure nearly $140 million in federal money for our state’s unemployed.

When I talk with my constituents, one of the most pressing issues on their minds is Michigan’s high unemployment rate. With the closing of auto manufacturing plants, suppliers, and dealerships, many workers are finding themselves without the jobs they had planned to work until retirement. Michigan workers need all the help they can get, and at a time when help is scarce, we should take advantage of every possible opportunity to assist these workers.

The Michigan House of Representatives has approved a plan to modernize our unemployment system with $138.9 million in federal stimulus funds for unemployed workers enrolled in a state-approved training program (I introduced the Senate version of this), and part-time workers who have lost their jobs. However, the Republican-controlled State Senate has yet to allow a vote to secure the funding, and without fast action, Michigan risks losing the money. While stimulus dollars are only a temporary solution, they will help our workers support themselves while looking for full time work or participating in training programs for high-demand fields such as technology, alternative energy, and health care.

Helping Michigan families survive this economic downturn has been my focus in the state senate, and I’ve fought for funding for the No Worker Left Behind program as well as the Hire Michigan First package of bills that recently passed. I also recently voted to pass legislation that would give additional protection to homeowners facing foreclosure. Here we have another opportunity to help families and boost the economy, and my colleagues across the aisle are sitting idly by.

We need your help to make sure that the Senate Majority follows the House’s lead and makes the passage of this important legislation to help Michigan workers a priority. My fellow Senate Democrats and I are requesting Michigan residents to take action and log onto the new “Help MI Workers” Web site at http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/helpmiworkers/. You can sign an online petition encouraging the Senate Republicans to pass this legislation, providing a lifeline to Michigan citizens struggling from the devastation of unemployment. You can also find information to contact them directly. Michigan’s unemployed need your help––log on to Help MI Workers and stand up for our state’s struggling workforce today.

We saw significant progress this afternoon as two Senate committees approved portions of the “Hire Michigan First” package, which passed the House in a bipartisan manner and has had the support of Senate Democrats for years (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=84608551810&ref=mf). These bills would give incentives to companies to hire Michigan workers, guarantee that state contracts do not go to companies hiring illegal immigrants, and ensure a prevailing wage that will help support Michigan families. The versions considered by committees today did not include all of these measures, and we will keep working to restore them to serve their initial purpose: boosting Michigan’s economy.

This legislation is so important to Senate Democrats that they have tried several times to force a floor vote on the issue, and each time have been blocked Senate Republicans. It was not even given a vote: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1278.

You can see Sen. Glenn S. Anderson, one of the sponsors of the Senate version of the package, speaking about it on the floor in this video clip: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/play.php?id=647.

Sen. John J. Gleason also sponsored legislation in the Senate version, and he talks about the importance of hiring Michigan workers here: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/dem/play.php?id=71.

Our work on this legislation is finally paying off, but we need to keep fighting as the package has not fully passed the Senate yet and Senate Republicans are attempting to leave out important elements of the bills. We must make Michigan workers top priority.

If you’d like to join us in fighting for this important economic recovery initiative, please join our Facebook “Hire Michigan First” Cause Page: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/235147/42426775?m=1a240be5.

Right now, creating jobs and getting Michigan’s economy back on track should be our greatest priority in the Legislature. Michigan workers and families can’t wait any longer for this, and now is the wrong time to turn our attention away from them.

Last week, the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 69, a bill that would put even more money back into the pockets of CEOs making $210,000 per year in the form of a business tax credit. Currently, for a family of four, an income of $21,027 per year means living in poverty. The Republicans voted to give more money back to people earning TEN TIMES more than Michigan’s poorest families, while offering no assistance to those barely making ends meet.

That $210,000 salary is more than $60,000 more than the average CEO salary in Michigan. It’s more than four times the annual wage for a police officer, five times more what a fire fighter would make in a year, and could put four teachers to work or pay four nurses to staff our hospitals and take care of the sick. I think we should focus on helping the struggling autoworker from my Genesee County district, and the student trying to pay for college in Grand Rapids, and the mom in Muskegon trying to work two jobs to make ends meet. CEOs making more than $200,000 a year are not the people who are hurting the most right now, and there is no evidence that giving them even more money will help create jobs or move our economy forward.

I voted against SB 69, because I feel that in order to make a difference in our state’s economy, we need to look at tax reform that can help struggling families, workers, and communities instead of taking away from already depleted state services so desperately needed in these hard times. We can’t afford to leave a gaping hole in the state budget just to pad the wallets of the wealthy. This is not the time to turn our backs on those who need the most help.

Tomorrow night, March 10, State Senator John J. Gleason will welcome the public to an informational meeting concerning an update on the federal stimulus package, and potential jobs just announced for road funding and weatherization improvements to houses in Genesee County.

This meeting will take place from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Board of Commissioners Office Auditorium, at 1101 Beach St. in Flint.

Presenters include:

• State Senator John J. Gleason

• Gary Heidel - Director of Program and Policy from MSHDA

• Steve Walker - Director of the Genesee County Community Action Agency (GCCARD just received $10 million to provide weatherization improvements to houses in Genesee County)

• Julie Hinterman - Director, Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission

• Christine Durgan - Principal Planner, Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission

• Derek Bradshaw - Principal Planner, Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission(Just announced funding for $8.3 million in local Road Stimulus projects)

Over the past few weeks, President Obama’s signing of the Economic Recovery Act and the billions of dollars it will be infusing into states’ budgets has dominated the discussion at state capitol buildings across the country.

Michigan is expected to receive an estimated $6.7 billion for major programs, with approximately $1.5 billion targeted for major infrastructure funding.  This would include around $846 million for road improvements, $165 million for transit projects, $239 million for sewer and drinking water projects, and $280 million for weatherization of homes and buildings.

It is important that in the rush to inject these funds into our economy, proper regulation, transparency and oversight is in place to prevent the abuses which have resulted from the bailout of Wall Street, where funds were used to hire foreign workers, pay for extravagant conferences and pad executive salaries.  We need to do everything we can to make sure this money is going toward investment and job creation right here at home.  That’s why I have cosponsored the “Hire Michigan First” legislation, a package of bills that would offer incentives to businesses that choose to hire Michigan workers.

Michigan residents should be able to see their tax dollars working to create jobs with companies that will hire Michigan workers and not outsource jobs to out-of-state or overseas workers.  The hardworking people of this state are the backbone of our economy, and as leaders, we have an opportunity to put them to work building our future.

Michigan jobs should go to Michigan workers first and foremost.  In addition to the jobs created directly by the initiative, those put to work will spend their paychecks in local grocers, restaurants, and business creating an important multiplier effect for local economies.  Michigan businesses and workers deserve an opportunity to prove they are second to none and it’s time that we pass Hire Michigan First to make sure that happens.

In an effort to help workers and job seekers in the current tough economic climate, Sen. Glenn S. Anderson will bring together state and local officials to host a town hall meeting on Monday, March 9, for citizens concerned about unemployment issues. It will run from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and will be held at the Livonia Senior Center.

The meeting will include presentations and the public will also have an opportunity to individually meet with officials and agencies to talk about job search and retention strategies and other related work topics. There is no charge for attending.

Representatives from local and state agencies will be there, including: The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, the Michigan Economic Development Agency, Michigan Works, Michigan Department of Human Services and the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Additional presenters may be added.

For additional information please call Senator Anderson at 866.262.7306 or e-mail him at SenatorAnderson@senate.mi.gov.

This past year’s presidential election brought a sense of change and hope to our nation at a time when we needed it the most. Things are also changing here in Michigan at the state level, as I’ve recently begun serving as Senate Democratic Leader. Having so many issues to tackle continues to fuel my, as well as my colleagues, determination to move this state forward and pursue an agenda that will attract jobs to Michigan and strengthen our economy.

The legislature faces many challenges in the upcoming year, but rebuilding our economy and creating jobs will remain the number one priority. While foreclosure and unemployment rates increase, Michigan families are struggling and we need to answer their call for help. As a miner and former union leader for over twenty years, I have experience with the concerns of unemployment and supporting our families.  I understand how to fight for jobs. We need to make sure we put families and workers first by understanding their needs and taking swift action to meet them.

It is anticipated that this year will also bring another year of large cuts to Michigan’s budget.  The legislature must put partisan differences aside to craft a budget that tightens our belt without sacrificing services and investments that help spur economic growth. Creating jobs and attracting businesses will help correct our budget situation.  In addition, we must stand up for our schools and universities. The future of our state depends so much on education and it’s essential our institutions have the resources necessary to train our people for the future workforce.

As caucus leader, I will work with my colleagues to make swift progress on these serious challenges. We won’t always agree on everything, but by focusing on what’s best for the citizens who hired us we can unite to make changes that will turn Michigan around.  

This Thursday, January 15, State Senator John J. Gleason (D-Flushing) will bring together state and local officials to host a community forum for citizens concerned about unemployment issues. Those attending will have an opportunity to meet with officials and agencies to talk about job search and retention strategies, challenges they’ve encountered, and other employment-related topics. The event is free of charge, though attendees will be responsible for their own parking costs.

The meeting will be at the Genessee County Board of Commissioners' Auditorium (1101 Beach Street in Flint) and will run from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

Participants include representatives from the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD), Career Alliance, Inc., the Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth (DELEG), the Unemployment Insurance Agency, and residents testifying about the troubles they’ve had with the state’s unemployment system.

Michigan’s struggling economy and high unemployment rate are taking their toll on some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens: children. A report issued today by Kids Count (http://tiny.cc/uto0e) states that the percentage of children under 18 living in poverty rose from 13.6 percent in 2000 to 19 percent in 2007. For a family of four, living in poverty means an income of $21,000 or less per year.

We need to be doing everything we can to make sure Michigan families don't continue to suffer like this. That's why Senate Democrats are working hard to make Michigan an attractive location for companies to grow and expand. Legislation to grant Michigan Economic Growth Authority credits to businesses (http://tiny.cc/sKXQ7), creation of SmartZones, funding for the No Worker Left Behind program (http://tiny.cc/AD35g) to give unemployed workers new job skills, funding for Michigan Promise scholarships to help Michigan children afford a higher education, and funding for programs such as the Michigan Nursing Corps (http://tiny.cc/7i0Go) to address the state’s nursing shortage have all been priorities for the caucus. Sens. Jacobs (http://tiny.cc/YXcat) and Gleason (http://tiny.cc/5OEyJ) are hosting town halls this month to help citizens with unemployment issues, and Senate Democrats will continue their efforts to improve Michigan’s economy and address the state’s poverty issues in the new legislative session.

Last month, I joined with Michigan elected officials at the state and national level in calling for federal assistance for Michigan’s struggling auto manufacturing industry. Speaking both as a former Ford employee and public servant, I know how intertwined the auto industry is with our economy, and how essential that support is for our state’s survival.

But while I echoed the appeals made to Washington, I also did what I could in my capacity as a State Senator to aid the auto industry and jumpstart our economy. That’s why I joined my colleagues in the legislature in voting to pass House Bill 6611 which will offer up to $335 million in investment incentives for the development and manufacture of lithium-ion and other high-tech batteries used to power hybrid and electric cars.

Ford and General Motors are working to keep up with consumer demand and counteract rising fuel costs, but they still must currently rely on foreign technology for the batteries to make vehicles like the Fusion Hybrid and Chevy Volt run. The United States has no large-scale production of advanced batteries whatsoever, and reforming our domestic auto manufacturing will be moot if we don’t catch up to our competitors in every aspect of production.

By instituting these incentives, Michigan will create the most conducive climate for auto battery development and production in the world. This endeavor stands to help jumpstart our economy much as the film incentives package passed earlier this year did, bringing in millions of dollars of investment and creating hundreds of jobs.

Media reports estimate that the vehicle battery market could total $50 billion by 2020, and recently fourteen U.S. technology companies and a national laboratory this month created an alliance to seek billions in federal funding for construction of a plant to make advanced vehicle batteries. This money and the high-tech jobs that come with it are Michigan’s for the taking. In order for Michigan to retain its status as car capital of the world, we must advance with changing technology and become the car battery capital of the world as well. This legislation will pave the way for us to do just that.

Attracting and retaining high-growth jobs must be a priority in our state if we’re going to recover from the economic setbacks of the last few years. That’s why I’ve been working overtime to bring new jobs to Michigan in the technology and alternative energy sectors, and working in the state legislature to create incentives for businesses that will make Michigan an attractive location for growth and expansion in these sectors. It takes pulling all the interested parties together in meetings and conference calls, convincing them Michigan has the resources they need to succeed, and showing them that the tools we offer are competitive with anyone. So far, those incentives and the support of state and local government are paying off.

Rooftop photovoltaics is one of the fastest growing segments of the solar power industry, and Michigan will soon have a new solar panel manufacturing facility. I have been working closely with United Solar Ovonic, LLC and state officials to secure a tax credit from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) that will help the company create new jobs locally. Even when there was doubt about one location in our area, we did not give up. Engaging other local officials to secure a compatible location helped keep the investment in Michigan when it could have left to head to some other state or community. Now, this Michigan-based company will be creating 350 new jobs in the Battle Creek area with the construction of the new facility, and there is potential to add an additional 350 jobs. Because of the unparalleled support and incentives our state offered, United Solar chose Michigan for their expansion over a competing site in New York.

In addition to fighting for MEGA incentives, I’ve also worked to lay a foundation for job growth in Michigan through the creation of designated SmartZones. SmartZones provide distinct geographical locations where technology-based firms, entrepreneurs and researchers can work in close proximity to each other and have access to community assets they need.  When the local community in Jackson decided they wanted to go after a SmartZone again, some state officials were initially hesitant. There hadn’t been any new SmartZones in several years and the current law only allowed 12 statewide. So we got busy changing the law and changing the minds of skeptics because we knew it could help secure jobs for our area. In the summer of 2007 I began working to create a SmartZone in Jackson, and last week I was able to join Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) officials, several Republican and Democratic colleagues, and a number of local leaders at a reception in Jackson to unveil the designation of the Jackson Technology Park SmartZone in Blackman Township. Now we begin the next challenge of maximizing this new tool to draw in investment and growth that will generate jobs.

While our state has felt the blow of a struggling economy, I am confident we are beginning to turn things around for Michigan. The MEDC estimates that increased economic activity spurred by the new solar panel facility will create 3,062 spin-off jobs throughout the state, in addition to those created directly by United Solar. And this project is one of nine economic development projects announced by the governor this week, in all expected to create and retain a total of 7,642 jobs. The creation of SmartZones gives Michigan the tools to market itself to high tech businesses seeking world-class resources at their fingertips. It is the growth that these jobs will bring and the support of state and local governments in bringing them here that will make a difference for Michigan.  It may take changing a few more laws, convincing a few more skeptics, and being a part of meeting after meeting and call after call to promote our state to businesses looking to create jobs. But we have done it before and we will do it again. Anything less just won’t cut it.

Our country is currently facing a massive nurse shortage, and the problem is affecting us at a local level as well. Michigan is currently expecting a shortage of 7,000 registered nurses by 2010 and an even larger shortage of 18,000 RNs come 2015.

This problem isn’t due to a lack of interest in the nursing field. It is due to a lack of classroom faculty, clinical faculty and clinical sites for aspiring nurses to get their education. More than 4,400 qualified nursing school applicants have been turned away in the last year in Michigan due to these shortages. According to the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, 50% of the current nursing faculty will be eligible to retire in the next few years, making the lack of clinical nursing faculty even more of a concern.

Although funding for nurses is partly provided through scholarship programs, they are no longer sufficient towards ensuring the state has enough nurses to adequately care for patients. To fully address this shortage last year, Governor Granholm created the Michigan Nursing Corps Program, an initiative that awards grants to universities and colleges with existing accredited nursing education programs for the purpose of increasing the capacity of nursing faculty and adding new nurses to the workforce.

With the difficult fiscal situation the state faced last year, only $1.5 million was allotted for the program. However, with a less dire budget situation this year, my colleagues and I recently fought for and secured an increase of $3.5 million for the Nursing Corp Program, bringing its funding up to $5 million for 2009.

Investing our money towards training future nurses will bolster faculty and support increased enrollment, two aspects necessary to keeping up with the growing need for health care workers. A fully trained nurse staff is necessary under any situation, but especially as the baby boomer generation continues to age and the increase in demand in the medical sector continues to rise.

With more than 2,000 RN job openings in Metro Detroit alone, this is clearly a problem that deserves the legislature’s full focus. We know what we have to do to address the nursing shortage-educate more nurses to become teachers so that we can in turn have more nurses working in our hospitals, clinics, and medical offices. Focusing on these issues today will help create better health care experiences for workers and patients both now and in the future.

Last week, Governor Granholm signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor that will extend unemployment benefits to jobless Michiganians for an extra 13 weeks. This now gives people struggling to find jobs a total of 39 weeks of payments, offering some security when the future is uncertain.

This is an idea I’ve supported since January of 2007, when I introduced Senate Bill 86. My bill allowed for the same extension of benefits, something I saw was necessary as the unemployment rate climbs and Michigan continues to lose jobs. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation right now, and at 8.5% in May, we’ve hit a 16-year high.

I know people want to work, and I know unemployment checks are not the same as a paycheck… but I also know that finding a job is hard work, and it takes a lot of time. It takes even longer when jobs are scarce, and we have to acknowledge the struggles people in Michigan are facing. A few more weeks of benefits could make a world of difference to a family struggling to buy groceries, make rent payments, and buy gas to get to a job interview.

Michigan has lost approximately 69,000 jobs in the last year, but I’m hopeful that the downward trend will soon see a shift. We are a state of hard-working individuals, and we’re ready for some change. Companies are recognizing the talent and work ethic of the people who live here, and I look forward to watching the number of available jobs grow and the unemployment rate decline. The process is gradual, and until then, offering 13 extra weeks of financial security to struggling Michiganians is a necessary move in helping our state get back on its feet.

We’ve all felt the effects of the foreclosure crisis that is plaguing Michigan and the nation. A report by California-based RealtyTrac Inc. indicates that Michigan has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. Last year nearly 2 percent of all homes in Michigan were in foreclosure with more than 136,000 filings, the third highest rate in the country.

To help stem the tide of foreclosures and help keep consumers in their homes, we have been working to pass new legislation that would bring accountability to the lending industry and help homeowners transition into a stable, fixed-rate mortgage that they can actually afford. I also recorded a public service announcement that will air throughout the 19th Senate district to help consumers get assistance through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Some legislators are also holding town hall meetings like the ones I hosted in Jackson and Battle Creek so local residents could ask questions about foreclosure and talk with financial experts who could provide information and assistance. At the meetings I heard from devastated citizens about their situations, including a woman in Jackson who had lost her home but wanted information to help her sister, a couple in Battle Creek in danger of losing their home, and another woman who was hoping to help her son.

This crisis affects real people of all social and economic backgrounds. Everyone from lenders to community service groups agree that the key to avoiding foreclosure is to act early and communicate with your mortgage provider. Unfortunately, a big part of the problem is that homeowners are often embarrassed or afraid to seek help, which only makes their situation worse. That’s why education on this critical issue is so important.

Our approach must be a comprehensive, coordinated one that focuses on:

• Making sure Consumers are Informed – In addition to PSAs and holding local forums, Democrats are sponsoring bills to make sure consumers have easy-to-understand details available to them at the time of closing and before.

• Providing Emergency Assistance – We must make tools available to those in dire need, such as refinancing assistance, and keep veterans and workers who have had their jobs outsourced from being foreclosed upon.

• Protecting against this happening in the future – Cracking down on predatory lending and deceptive marketing practices will save many consumers from experiencing this dilemma.

Meeting the folks at this week’s town hall meetings reinforced my desire to keep fighting for solutions that help Michigan families who are struggling to stay in their homes. Solving this crisis is an important step towards a renewed economy for our state, which is why we must act quickly to stop foreclosures.

Since last month’s State of the State address, Gov. Granholm has been making a major push for an aggressive renewable energy plan for Michigan. Considering our state’s challenging economic condition right now and the rising demand for energy, it’s easy to understand why.

Consumers, businesses and manufacturers in Michigan currently pay $18 billion each year to import coal, oil and natural gas. Of that $18 billion we import 100% of the coal we use, 96% of the oil we consume for transportation fuels and 75% of our natural gas from other states. That money heads across the border each year to help workers and businesses in other states, and it does nothing to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions, diversify our state’s economy or create jobs here in Michigan.

By passing a strong Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) like the one I co-sponsored with Sen. Jim Barcia (D-Bay City), Michigan can join a growing list of states that have already chosen to make renewable energy a priority. It would create demand for alternative energy, which would allow businesses to capitalize on our state’s strong manufacturing sector and create 21^st Century jobs.

In fact, earlier this month energy company executives from General Electric, Cascade Industries and Environmental Power Corp. testified before the Senate Energy Committee in support of a strong RPS for Michigan. Jeff Metts, President of Dowding Industries, Inc. had this to say:

“Last May our company announced a new $7.1 million facility in Eaton Rapids to manufacture components used in the assembly of wind turbines. Michigan has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in the production and management of renewable energy and attract even more business investment to the state.”

The business community is clearly ready for an RPS because they see an opportunity to expand their operations here in Michigan. In terms of job creation, a report released last summer by Environment Michigan indicates that a strong RPS would generate thousands of new high tech manufacturing jobs, and help keep a larger portion of the $18 billion we spend to import materials for energy each year in Michigan.

In addition to strong renewable standards, energy efficiency measures could translate into immediate savings for Michigan ratepayers. Senate Bill 7, introduced last January by Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor), would require energy efficiency standards for certain appliances or equipment sold or installed in the state, assuring consumers and businesses that the products meet minimum efficiency performance levels.

A study conducted by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy found that a 2 to 4% reduction in natural gas use can reduce natural gas prices by 20% or more in tight market conditions. The best news for consumers is that the cost savings associated with energy efficiency standards more than offset the cost of implementation, which means more money in your pocket.

The bottom line is that even in these tough economic times, Michigan can’t afford not to make renewable energy and energy efficiency a priority. We have an opportunity here to rejuvenate our economy, create new “green collar” jobs, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and cut our energy expenses. It’s time for the Legislature to take action on these measures and move Michigan forward.

During her State of the State address last month, Gov. Granholm highlighted plans to offer incentives to the film industry as a means of bringing jobs to Michigan:

We agree that we must pass the most robust incentives in the nation to spur growth of the film industry in Michigan. Thank you Representatives Meisner and Huizenga and Senators Allen and Hunter.

For more background on this initiative, check out these articles from the Detroit News and the Associated Press.

The week prior to the Governor’s speech, members of the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee met to hear testimony from film industry personalities including Mitch Albom and Director Mike Binder. Here’s what Mr. Albom had to say at the meeting:

This is a booming, growing business that, unlike a lot of businesses we’ve gotten used to here in Michigan... This will be a bigger business tomorrow than it is today, and a bigger business on Friday than it will be on Thursday... It requires basically legislation—if a new piece of legislation goes through that makes this place friendly incentive-wise to make films, the filmmakers will come the next day.

Bill Black from the Michigan Teamsters and other officials representing industry workers also testified in favor of the issue, reminding Senators that the film industry has strong ties with the labor community. Michigan Film Office Director Janet Lockwood also spoke in support of increased production incentives, saying that a big budget movie can add up to $175,000 a day to the local economy.

During his time in the House, Sen. Tupac A. Hunter (D-Detroit) introduced similar legislation that would offer tax incentives for film productions in Michigan. “I think there are many places across the State of Michigan that offer the natural scenery—rural places, urban places and the like—that will be attractive to filmmakers to depict the stories that they would like to depict,” said Sen. Hunter, following last month’s committee hearing.

Sen. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) was also upbeat about the plan:

We’ve got the best landscape around. That’s why I believe that these incentive packages are important. They’re going to attract jobs here—they’re actually going to keep jobs—but most importantly they’re going to showcase the State of Michigan to the world… This is a fantastic proposal, and I think it’s going to be a great economic generator for the state.