November’s elections signaled the abrupt end of eight years of unified Republican control of Michigan government. Democrats replaced Republicans in all four of the highest statewide constitutional offices. Republicans held the House and Senate but lost seats in both. Michigan’s Supreme Court, which was already moving away from conservative jurisprudence, became more liberal after the elections. Now that Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer succeeds the GOP’s Rick Snyder, how will the Mackinac Center advance free-market ideas in the new political environment?
We’ll start by continuing practices that have proved effective. We’ll stay on offense for transformational free-market ideas like lower taxes and spending, educational excellence through choice and flexibility, sensible regulation, and labor freedom.
We’ll remain nonpartisan, working with anyone, regardless of party, who agrees with our policy recommendations. Even with Republicans in total control, we found it beneficial at times to partner with liberal lawmakers and organizations. We joined with the ACLU, for example, to work toward curtailing civil asset forfeiture, where law enforcement agencies seize property during a criminal investigation but then retain it for financial gain.
We will model civility. We leave the mudslinging, name-calling, innuendo, and character attacks to those who seem to enjoy those things.
We’re ready to add new capabilities as well, including a more muscular government affairs presence in Lansing. David Guenthner, our new senior strategist for state affairs, will lead this crucial capacity to ensure effective educational outreach to lawmakers and strong relationships with them.
Over barbecue, I asked David, “What distinguishes the Mackinac Center’s government affairs operation?” We jotted down the following traits that make us different from lobbyists who swarm the Capitol to represent political organizations, trade associations, interest groups and single-issue concerns.
The Mackinac Center will:
I’m sad to report that these seven practices are just about all that’s necessary to stand out in a very good way. But I’m happy to report that none of these are new to us, so we won’t find it difficult to harness the power of these traits to advance free-market policies.
Gov. Snyder left Michigan in better shape than it was when he assumed office. But still, billions of tax dollars are misspent and government harasses and even harms the people through poor policy.
Gov. Whitmer, and everyone else in Lansing, can count on the Mackinac Center to energetically advocate for the policies we believe have proved to help people the most and to live by the principles outlined here.
