When it comes to Michigan business organizations lobbying politicians and public policy makers in the state capital in Lansing, it’s an open question as to how effective they really are.
For starters, MIRS newsletter reported last week that, for the 10th straight survey, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce received the most votes from “insiders” when asked: “Thinking about Lansing’s membership organizations, which one do you think does the most effective lobbying job?”
A total of 14% said the Michigan Chamber of Commerce does the most effective lobbying job. This group was followed by a four-way tie for second place that included the Small Business Association of Michigan, the Michigan Auto Dealers, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, and the Michigan Municipal League, all receiving 5% of the vote.
However, the state Chamber was unable to stop the Democratic ‘Trifecta’ in Lansing from repealing the Right to Work statute and enacting other anti-business legislation and regulations in 2023-24. Meanwhile, the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, sponsors of the vaunted “policy” summit held on Mackinac Island every year, didn’t even finish near the top in the above rankings.
So, the question must be asked: How seriously should the Mackinac Policy Conference and its sponsor be taken? For that matter, how effective are the various business organizations in general?
“Not very,” according to the newly emboldened West Michigan Policy Forum (WMPF). This group’s leaders feel the traditional business organizations such as the Michigan and Detroit chambers and Business Leaders for Michigan have not been aggressive or dominant enough in pursuing a pro-business agenda and were not able to stop the Michigan legislature, two years ago, from repealing Right to Work, which had been enacted by a Republican Trifecta in the lame duck session of 2012 when Republican Rick Snyder was governor.
The WMPF, long overlooked by Lansing ‘insiders,’ has just hired a full-time chief executive. He’s Jase Bolger, former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2011-2014, who will lead the organization. The organization has retained the public relations firm Truscott Rossman to handle WMPF communications (John Truscott was former Gov. John Engler’s longtime gubernatorial press secretary). WMPF has plans to go statewide in membership recruitment and with the composition of their board of directors.
Meanwhile, elements of the business community in Southeast Michigan felt the need to transform Detroit Renaissance, then led by former House Speaker Paul Hillegonds, into a CEO-driven organization, which turned out to be Business Leaders for Michigan (BLFM), led by Doug Rothwell, Engler’s former economic development adviser.
WMPF, with the DeVos family connection, will be viewed immediately by the Trump-style conservative MAGA crowd as the “Establishment.” The Detroit News has already reported that nearly $5 million in Super PAC funding from the DeVos family may be available for Congressman John James’s 2026 gubernatorial campaign, assuming it ever gets off the ground.
Michigan history demonstrates that the power of individual business organizations in the legislative and political process shifts periodically. It is dependent on the direction set by the board and who leads the organization, hires staff, and implements the vision and plan of action.
As for the Detroit Regional Chamber, it’s taken only slightly more seriously today than it was a couple of decades ago, when it was a fun-and-games frolic in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and environs. Then the Detroit Chamber realized the optics of that were TERRIBLE so they brought it back to Mackinac Island. The sponsors’ goal, however, has remained pretty much the same — to come up with some “policy consensus” on one or more major issues that would draw headlines and make the politicos in Lansing pay attention and, hopefully, take action. It’s almost never worked (mass transit, anyone?), but they keep trying. This year, they added a Rodney King-style “Can’t we all just get along?” filip, but that blew up in their faces when a panel of legislative leaders (the so-called “Quadrant”) sparked oral fireworks (“I don’t need you,” the House Speaker told the House Minority Leader). There was little sweetness and light on the Island.
Maybe the only one who profited from the conclave was Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, now an independent candidate for governor, who was here, there, and everywhere at the conference and produced about the only policy initiative that merits attention. That would be his proposal to force K-12 educators to have some “skin in the game” in improving student test scores by firing principals after three years, and superintendents after five, if their schools fail to show improvement.
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Moms Demand Action and March For Our Lives hold more sway than actual lobbyists in Lansing. Consent of the governed means nothing to hysterical female legislators. Maybe women being banned from government positions would afford a better outcome for the citizenry than the current mix of man-haters?
Business political organizations lost a lot of traction with the Tea Party and MAGA elements in Michigan politics by supporting unchecked immigration and various progressive social causes. They can try to recover influence with smarter people, better strategies, and more money, but they really need the Tea Party and MAGA elements on election days.
They get their choice: Compromise with the Tea Party and MAGA elements, or compromise with the Democrats.
In 2010, the year the Tea Party surged to power in Michigan, they quietly backed Rick Snyder for governor once he won the August of 2010 primary in what would culminate in Virg Bernero being trounced in the November 2010 general election.
In fact it was a GOP sweep of all statewide offices in Michigan in 2010.
It was a raucous GOP state convention in August of 2010 but culminated a GOP landslide that election cycle.
An interesting article, Bill, with a nice history lesson. And in the next to last paragraph, you let us know that Speaker Matt Hall does not intend to lead as if he were Monty Hall. His idea of “Let’s Make a Deal” is a form of “be reasonable, do it my way.” As for the cause, I am unsure if Governor Whitmer’s slow walking (or non-movement) in calling for the special election to fill former state senator Rivet-McDonald’s seat is a cause of this or not, but I would guess it does not help. And the delay in calling it does not support any concept of “defending our democracy” unless that means we will do whatever to retain our political power. So the mess that Speaker Tate left behind will not be fixed by Speaker Hall.
As for the Chamber, I am not sure how much clout with the Democrats that they ever really had given their history, especially with the rise of Jim Barrett in leadership. I’m a bit younger than you are, but I am pretty sure they did NOT endorse John Swainson, or Zoltan Ferency, or Sandy Levin or Bill Fitzgerald, or Jim Blanchard, or any Democrat in the past 40 years in their runs for governor. I suspect the number of Democrats endorsed by the Chamber for the legislature over the same time period is also quite small. As for the State Supreme Court, I can’t recall ANY Democrat nominated Justice or candidate they endorsed, though I do recall them spending a small fortune trying to unsuccessfully retire the late Justice Michael Cavanaugh. So their lack of influence when the Democrats held the trifecta is not surprising.
The rise of the WMPF is intriguing. It seems to me to be a rebellion of sorts against the Chamber, not so much for their sins as their perceived lack of clout. Now just how the backers of WMPF think they would have done better than the Chamber in preserving right-to-work escapes me. It’s always easier to fix blame than fix the problem.
As for the WMPF, in selecting Jase Bolger as its head, they’ve shown themselves to be decidedly anti-worker and pro-boss, not exactly a populist position. So we know an appeal to the populist Trump voters this is not. Outside of trying to resurrect right to work legislation – which means right to work for less – and to promote charter schools, I’m not sure what they want or what their raison d’etre is. As to which elements in the business or establish community they are appealing to change their allegiance from the Chamber to them, I don’t know. One thing they and the Chamber would probably agree on is their desire to change the make-up of the state Supreme Court. Though Rick Snyder (who I would assume ranks high on the list of favorite governors for the WMPF) basically had a 5 – 2 GOP edge on the Court that has now gone 6 – 1 Democrat, in large part to some of his appointees.
Whether a fight over the GOP governorship between the Chamber and WMPF will manifest itself or not, is only something we will have to wait for. But if it does lead to a political civil war between the two, Mike Duggan will be happy to accept the Chamber’s endorsement (depending on his choice for Lt. Gov. who will most probably be an anti-Trump pro-business GOP type). And that will be plenty of fodder for future TBRs. Film at 11.
Thanks Bill, for the journalistic excellence we’ve all come to know and admire!
I must agree with both Whuffagowie and 10x25mm, above. I recently saw an article in The Oakland Press indicating a 15.5% percent decline in Waterford public schools’ enrollment since 2020/2021, the height of Covid. Since Covid?!? Such a boon for home schooling, charters and parochials! Michigan’s parents are desperate, and Lansing un-leaders are fiddling on their harps. As long as the supposed republican organizations Bill mentions in his article, the various chambers of commerce, the WMPF, the BLFM with their DeVos connections want to keep their heads stuck firmly in the sand, and ignore the grass roots wishes, then democrat Mayor Duggan, the pseudo independent, is going to laugh all the way to Michigan dropping to 45th place in education or below.
The late great state of Michigan has been placed on life support thanks to lack of leadership that can’t cross their party divide, let alone the political divide.
Bill for Gov’na.
And now the Oakland Press has a recent article indicating the public schools in Oakland County have lost 9% enrollment over the last 10 years. The press tries to mollify it as a national trend. But its not happening in states that promote successful programs. That is thousands and thousands of kids and families. And we want to throw more $$ after these managerial flunk outs? No! Both party, and independent, candidates can’t wait to lay out their planks to give more $$ to a failing system. No! To do not much more than pay off their inflated pensions. No! I say not a dime more till homeschoolers, charter-schoolers and parochial-schoolers get the same $$ per student as the public schoolers.
I’d hold my breath to wait for just one of these yahoo candidates to indicate we should emulate the concepts used by more successful states, like Iowa or, e-gad! Mississippi, but I’d pass out and die. And even Bill wouldn’t want that, I hope.
Bill, you truly are a gem! Your insights and command of historical perspective is enviable. I hope the young, up and coming staffers, lobbyists, and newer elected officials are tuned into you.
Thank you Bill for an excellent summary. As a Legislator of the Year -SBAM-and living in Plymouth-I am from Small Business Heaven.
I have recommended this Column as mandatory reading to Kyle Vickery and Aric Nesbitt. (The tractor is symbolic but the Michigan Chamber is led by an enlightened leader with a Law Degree- JIM HOLCOMB
Great narrative Bill. So much is going on in the Political Arena and I agree with Mr. Sullivan, “News At 11.” Thank You for a great report.