This is not what the governor had in mind when he coined the phrase
Relentless Positive Action. Seems like some of the ultra conservative
R's in the Michigan House missed that memo because they are passing
stuff that goes contrary to the RPA/Snyder agenda.
Item one: Those right-wingers want universities doing stem-cell
research to fill out lots of forms and send them along to the state.
Item two: Those same universities, that grant health care benefits
to unmarried partners who are living together, could lose 5% of their
state support if they don't shut-off those benefits.
Gov. Rick Snyder is against the reporting and remains non-committal
on item two although he admits the 5% penalty was not his idea.
And that's the point. None of this stuff is.
Recall when he ran for governor he did not come within a country
mile of any social wedge issues which have become the crack-cocaine of
the far-right of his party including anti-gay rights, abortion, death
penalty and more recently the stem-cell issue which, by the way, a vast
majority of Michigan voters said they wanted.
That does not phase some GOP legislators who carry the water for
Michigan Right to Life on this one.
The governor continues on his mission to finish the state budget
before the end of this month and these side shows, albeit very
important to some lawmakers, are anti-RPA. Instead of debating the
numbers in the budget, time is diverted to these questions.
Everyone knew it would come to this, but the governor can not
criticize his "pals" on the right because it's not his nature to do so.
But he knows this is a distraction, but some in the house and senate,
didn't get that memo either.